Nyanza-Lac : five persons in detention

Since Wednesday, two employees of the Nyanza-Lac hospital in Makamba province (southern Burundi) and three security guards have been detained in the custody of the Makamba provincial prosecutor’s office. They were arrested on the orders of the hospital director. The latter is suspected of being involved in a corruption case that he wants to stifle, according to hospital employees. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to witnesses, it is the director of the hospital who, without a warrant, took the five men to the Makamba prosecutor’s office.

“We don’t know how he managed to convince them, but all the five persons ended up in the hands of the public prosecutor’s office, who is detaining them”, said employees of the Nyanza-Lac hospital.

According to our sources, the director of the hospital acted in this way whereas he should himself respond to a summons.

“He was summoned by a judicial police officer in a case of theft that took place in August at the hospital. He did not respond to the summons, but he has just acted like this. We do not know not why”, say our sources.

Hospital employees suspect that their manager would like to get ahead of justice.

“When a metal from the incinerator was stolen in August, the perpetrator of the theft was identified after investigations. A trader who was caught in possession of the metal was released, having been cleared. But as he had paid a million Burundi francs, he is still asking for his money, because the metal has been handed over to the hospital. If the judicial police officer has summoned the director of the hospital, it is because he wants either to close the case, or continue it. He must have clues that motivate him”, said employees of the Nyanza-Lac hospital.

Our sources accuse the director of this hospital of having forced the three guards to lie.

They ask the judiciary to carry out an independent investigation and release their colleagues.