Rumonge: three people including the former governor heard

The administrator of the district of Muhuta and that of Burambi in the province of Rumonge (Southwest Burundi) were heard this Saturday by the prosecutor at the Court of Appeal of Bururi (South of the country). Our sources in Rumonge indicate that the two administrators were questioned on the case concerning the diversion of the material granted by the office of the presidency of Burundi, intended for the construction of schools. They were released in the afternoon of this Saturday. On Friday, it was the former governor of Rumonge, Consolateur Nitunga, who had spent the whole day and part of the night being questioned. INFOS SOS Médias Burundi

The case for which they are prosecuted concerns the “misappropriation of sheets and bags of cement granted by the office of the presidency of Burundi for the rehabilitation of schools in Rumonge”.

Unlike their colleagues from the districts of Buyengero, Rumonge and Bugarama (same province of Rumonge), who were sent to Murembwe prison this week, the two ladies were released.

A judicial source who testified on condition of anonymity reveals that the two district administrators did not hide anything unlike these three others.

“[…], It is the former governor who called us to share the material with us. He told us to go and build our own houses because we are poor …. We are not lying, it is well known”, said Domitile Ntunzwenimana to the Attorney General at the Court of Appeal of Bururi, the head of the district of Muhuta, a district of which the former governor of Rumonge Consolateur Nitunga is a native.

Marie Fabiola Ndayizeye is administrator of Burambi. She also does not deny having received the material, but explains that she distributed it to principals of schools.

“She received the information in time. And, she called some directors of schools to distribute the material to them and they acknowledged receipt. So she covered herself”, said a source in Burambi.

The day before, it was the former governor of Rumonge, Consolateur Nitunga, who had been questioned. He was reportedly questioned by agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR) in the commercial city of Bujumbura. The one who was recently appointed by the Head of State to take up the post of adviser to the Embassy of Burundi in Kinshasa (capital of the DRC) is following a three-month training course in international relations in the commercial capital.

The material in question was given to the province of Rumonge in September 2022. It was the then governor who received it before distributing it to his subordinates, four of whom are languishing in Murembwe prison.

Former Governor Consolateur Nitunga was heard until Friday evening before being released, according to our sources.

This Saturday, the chairperson of the CNIDH (National Independent Human Rights Commission) indicated that the arrests of administration officials in the province of Rumonge is “proof of the independence of Burundian justice”.

Sixte Vigny Nimuraba spoke of people who thought they were “untouchable” and called on justice to “respect international conventions while making decisions”.