Kirundo : two traders convicted of harming the national economy

Two years of penal servitude and a fine of one million Burundi francs each is the sentence that the First Instance Court of Kirundo (northern Burundi) imposed on two traders for harming the national economy. The latter were preparing to fraudulently sell coffee in Rwanda. They confessed. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Léonidas Hakizumwami alias Bitanagira, a trader residing in the urban center of Kirundo and Éric Hatungimana, a trader from Nyamabuye village, in Bugabira district of the same province, were convicted by the Kirundo First Instance Court for harming the national economy.

According to our sources at the Kirundo public prosecutor’s office, the police seized bags of parchment coffee from the home of Léonidas Hakizumwami weighing a total of 2,221 kgs after a search carried out last Tuesday afternoon at his home.

Éric Hatungimana was apprehended in the urban center of Kirundo after his escape from the Bugabira district cell.

Police had also seized 835 kgs of parchment coffee from his home two weeks earlier.

For the two traders, the public prosecutor requested a sentence of five years of criminal service and a fine of one million each for harm to the national economy.

The two accused confessed and asked the Court to reduce their punishment.

After deliberation, the Kirundo First Instance Court ruled on two years’ imprisonment and a fine of one million each.

According to consistent sources on site, these traders wanted to fraudulently sell this coffee in Rwanda where the price is high compared to Burundi.

In various meetings with administration and security officials, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye described as enemies of the nation the traders who transport Burundian goods to neighboring countries as well as the civil servants who are complicit in this trade.