KIGALI - The probe committee set up to investigate the issue of ghost students wrongly benefiting from the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG), has announced that the total number of such students has now risen to 519.

The committee was set up by the Office of the Prosecutor General as part of the ongoing probe in the irregularities that have marred the 10-year institution.

According to the prosecution spokesman, Augustin Nkusi, the committee which was set up last month finished its business Friday, unearthing a total 519 ghost students who have been illegally benefiting from the fund.

"Out of the 519, in all the inspected schools, 76 students had double subscription with FARG while the rest (443) simply did not exist,” said Nkusi during an exclusive interview yesterday.
The probe committee carried out investigations in 517 schools in total, according to Nkusi.

"From what was discovered, since the establishment of FARG, there has never been a proper validation process; we discovered that there is lack of follow-up, supervision and evaluation both in school and in all the 30 districts of the country,” he added.

The probe committee also listed about 165 students who were registered as being in boarding yet they are in day school.

A boarding student pays Rwf 60,000 while a day-scholar pays Rwf 30,000 according to FARG standards.

Other issues that the committee unearthed include 249 missing mattresses, 1,966 missing books and 1,215 pens that either the school head teachers or the concerned local leaders could not justify their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said that in-depth investigations are starting immediately and whoever will be involved will be prosecuted.

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