BUJUMBURA July 27th (ABP) – The Burundi National Police on Friday (July 24) presented a group of several people, including police officers, accused of several crimes, including corruption, said the police spokesman Pierre. Nkurikiye.
According to Mr. Pierre Nkurikiye, the ministry having Security in its attributions has, in the continuation of the implementation of the message launched by the minister in charge of carrying out a fight against corruption, “first swept in front of its box”.
It was in that context that a group of 13 police officers, rife with corruption and other crimes, was surprised. 12 were arrested and presented on Friday and another is being actively sought, Nkurikiye said. According to him, the charges vary. One is accused of armed robbery in the sum of 7.5 million BIF, one for robbery of 270,000BIF and home invasion, one for theft of fuel with the complicity of a civilian, five for corruption, one for hijacking of a seized bicycle, three for extortion during the night with complicity of two civilians and another is accused of misappropriation of drugs seized by the police.
Among the 13 police officers, there are those who were in complicity with four civilians by committing their crimes in the Bujumbura City Council, said Mr. Nkurikiye, adding that the four civilians were also arrested. The second group that was presented consists of five police officers who are currently imprisoned in Bubanza.
The police spokesman said they are accused of armed robbery and other crimes of blood in the Bujumbura City Council. A last police officer presented is accused of “malicious destruction of a state vehicle” of which he was the driver.
The 19 police officers, including 18 already arrested, who are accused of those various crimes have been dismissed from the police and are no longer part of the corps, Nkurikiye said, meaning that “there is no more tolerance” for the police and administrative officers who are guilty of corruption or other crimes, and that the same message extends to all ministries and also concerns all Burundians.
For Nkurikiye, after dismissal as disciplinary proceedings, legal proceedings will follow.
The police spokesperson, who urged Burundians to participate in this fight against corruption by denouncing all corrupt and corrupt people, asked the people to inform the police in the event of corruption.
In addition, the police dismantled a group of criminals composed of 13 people, who were guilty of throwing two grenades respectively at Buterere and Mutakura. The grenade thrown at Buterere caused damage, including five people seriously injured, Mr. Nkurikiye said, explaining that those people were posing as police officers and committing theft of bicycles, motorcycles and money. The same people are also accused of committing willful bodily harm, intimidation and rape with knives, according to Mr. Nkurikiye, who reports that investigations are continuing to track down other people who are in cahoots with those criminals.