Amid growing number of cases of embezzling monies belonging to cooperatives across the country, internal auditors and inspectors with Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA) have been equipped with investigative skills to combat the vice.

The week long training that brought together over 40 auditors and inspectors from various cooperatives was organized by RCA in partnership with the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA).

According to Apollo Munanura, the RCA director general, the training aimed at building the capacity of auditors and inspectors to be able to understand and analyze such crimes to be able to ease the process of preparing these cases for trial.

He said that embezzlement of cooperative members’ funds mainly in the sector-based saving and credit cooperatives (Umurenge Sacoos) were rampant. However, he noted that because investigations are not well conducted at the primary stage, the culprits end up getting away with it.

The trainees welcomed the initiative saying it was always hard for them to investigate cases of embezzlement due to limited skills adding that the additional skills would help them perform their tasks better to minimize embezzlement cases among cooperatives.

"We have acquired enough skills to investigate crimes committed in cooperatives including embezzlement and other crimes, there are a lot of crimes that we considered as normal errors,” said Francine Nyirandagirwa, one of the trainees.

"Thanks to the training, we have understood the penal code and how to carry out thorough investigation to identify the suspects and their accomplices without harming the innocent, we have been taught investigation steps and that we should not hasten to cause arrest of suspects before investigations are concluded,” said Jean de la Paix Habumugisha, another RCA inspector.

According to Munanura, RCA will keep building the capacity of members to ensure healthy cooperatives and enforce punishments so that no culprit goes unpunished.

There are over 8,000 cooperatives countrywide made up of over 3 million members.

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