Justice seizes properties of 42 Burundians allegedly involved in 2015 failed coup

In a statement jointly issued on Wednesday, May 15, the Attorney General of the Republic and the President of the Supreme Court have decided to seize the real estate of nine Burundians accused of being involved in the May 13, 2015 failed coup.

Sylvestre Nyandwi, Attorney General of the Republic of Burundi

The measure is applied on two buildings belonging to Juvénal Niyungeko known as Kiroho and Helménégilde Nimenya, five buildings belonging to Cyrille Ndayirukiye and one building for each of the following six people: Zénon Ndabaneze, Prime Ngowenubusa, Sylvestre Mikokoro, Eric Ntahomvukiye, Michel Kazungu and Prosper Nkurunziza.

The same declaration also recommends the seizure of “immovable and movable properties on the national territory of 32 other people. There are namely Godefroid Niyombare, leader of the failed coup of May 13, Pontien Gaciyubwenge, former Minister of Defense, Léonidas Hatungimana, former spokesman for the President of the Republic, Onesime Nduwimana, former spokesman for the ruling CNDD-FDD.
The same decision also concerns leaders of the civil society organizations such as Pacifique Nininahazwe, Armel Niyongere, Marguerite Barankitse and journalists Bob Rugurika, Innocent Muhozi and Gilbert Niyonkuru.

The Attorney General of the Republic asks the Minister in charge of the equipment to “take all necessary measures to prevent these goods from deteriorating and ensure that they are exploited by the government and this in the general interest pending the outcome of the aforementioned file.