Butanyerera : Prosecutor Jean Claude Ndemeye on the run after the discovery of one billion in his account

SOS Médias Burundi

Kirundo, November 5, 2025 – The public prosecutor in charge of the Kirundo and Busoni districts, in Butanyerera province, has been on the run since October 22.

According to sources close to the prosecutor’s office, an arrest warrant was issued that same day, after the discovery of more than one billion Burundi francs in Jean Claude Ndemeye’s personal account, a sum whose origin remains unexplained.

Witnesses claim that the magistrate left Busoni for Bwambarangwe before crossing the border at Kobero, in Muyinga province, to reach Tanzania. This information has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.

Accusations of arbitrary detention and extortion

Before his disappearance, Jean Claude Ndemeye was already the subject of numerous complaints from the population.

In Kirundo, several families accuse him of having carried out numerous arbitrary detentions and extortions within the prosecutor’s office, often for purely financial reasons.

According to several witnesses, the magistrate allegedly set up a network of intermediaries tasked with negotiating the release of detainees in exchange for sums of money.

“Even the guilty could get out, as long as they paid,” confides a resident of the Bugabira zone.

Relief and outrage among the population

In the districts of Kirundo and Busoni, the magistrate’s escape has been met with a mixture of relief and anger.
Several residents claim that the prosecutor boasted about “losing money” when he wasn’t receiving at least two million francs per week.

“It’s a great relief for us. This prosecutor has done a lot of harm to innocent people,” testifies a resident encountered in Kirundo.

Families demand justice

The families of the detainees are asking the interim prosecutor to review the cases of those still incarcerated under the orders of Jean Claude Ndemeye.

They are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of their loved ones, as well as the prosecution of the fugitive magistrate for corruption and abuse of power.

“We want a justice system that protects citizens, not one that robs them,” summarizes a resident of Busoni.