Bujumbura : Elements of the presidential guard jailed for accepting a valuable gift

Police Colonel Christian Nyabenda, head of operations at the Support Group for the Protection of Institutions (GAPI), two other officers from the same group including a woman as well as two officers and a non-commissioned officer from the Special Brigade for the Protection of Institutions-BSPI, have been detained at the central prison of Bujumbura known as Mpimba for two weeks. They were sent there after accepting a valuable gift of at least 40 thousand euros from Chadian President General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, the only president and distinguished guest to have participated in the celebration of the 62nd anniversary of Burundi’s independence on July 1st. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

In total, three police officers, two other officers from the Burundian army and two non-commissioned officers from the FDNB (Burundi National Defense Force) were sent to the central prison in Bujumbura, known as Mpimba. One of the two non-commissioned officers was released a few days later.

According to sources at the Burundian Ministry of Security, these elements of the presidential guard were transferred to this prison on Thursday, August 1.

According to concordant security sources, the group is suspected of having accepted a souvenir from Chadian President General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the end of his recent visit to the small East African nation. The young General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was the only president to have taken part in the ceremonies of celebrating the 62nd Independence Day.

“They received 40 thousand euros from the hands of the Chadian president. The affair was revealed at a time when Colonel Nyabenda wanted to take the 30 thousand alone to give the rest of the team a sum of only 10 thousand”, say police sources.

Police Colonel Christian Nyabenda was in charge of a health center reserved for the personnel in charge of security of institutions before requesting the position of operations manager, which he got.

“Normally when there are VIPs, he must be present”, say our sources.

According to information provided by security sources that SOS Médias Burundi could not verify, it was President Évariste Ndayishimiye himself who called his Chadian counterpart to “ensure the real amount he gave to his men”.

“I heard that they are being accused of not having taken this money to the BRB (Burundi’s Central Bank). It’s a bit strange. It is very difficult to qualify this offence. Will they be accused of corruption? Will they be prosecuted for embezzlement of funds whereas these are not public funds? Everyone is asking this question”, analyses a former judicial police officer (OPJ), now posted to the ministry in charge of security.

It is not yet clear whether part of the amount was given to the two specialized units in charge of protecting institutions or paid into the public treasury or even the entire amount, even if a certain opinion says that the amount had already fueled the black market in a country where foreign currency has become a very rare commodity.

According to point 5 of article 5 relating to the rules of conduct and obligations of the general status of civil servants in Burundi, “It is forbidden for civil servants to solicit, accept, claim or receive, directly or indirectly, a payment, a donation, a gift, or another benefit in kind directly or indirectly related to their functions”.

In practice, Burundian civil servants even receive or solicit favors and gifts as is especially the case at Bujumbura airport, the only international airport in Burundi – a practice that President Neva and his Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca alias Ndakugarika (“I will kill you” in Kirundi) are still struggling to discourage despite several warnings.