Prison Director and chief guard detained after prisoners’ guards escape

Typically, a prisoner allowed to move out of the prison is guarded by at least one police officer

The Director of Rutana prison and a chief of the police guard of the prison have been jailed following the escape of two prisoners and two police officers who were guarding them.

Pierre Nkurikiye, Spokesman for the National Police, says Director Jonas Mbonimpa and Officer Eugène Bizindavyi “were arrested yesterday in Rutana [eastern province] and interrogated by the Prosecutor of the court of appeal of Bururi (southern province) who, then, sent them to the central prison of the province. He says Mbonimpa and Bizindavyi are scheduled to face trial this Tuesday.

Local Police sources say the two prisoners escaped with their two guards on Thursday 13 April after they were allowed to go to hospital for treatment. According to the same sources, one of the prisoners was Charles Nzeyimana who once was head of the opposition party MSD (Movement for Solidarity and Development) in Bujumbura the capital.

Nzeyimana and the other unnamed prisoner had been arrested under the accusations of being members of armed groups.