Treated as slaves in India, two young Burundians lodged a complaint on their return in July 2018. An Indian man was first jailed in Mpimba Central Prison and released on August 03. The two young men fear for their security.
Baptiste and Fabrice: “We fear for our security, we have got several message of threat”
Helped by an Indian citizen living in Burundi known as Joshua, Fabrice Ndikumana and Jean Baptiste Niyonkuru are two young Burundians who went to India to search for a job in 2017. They later discovered that they were just sold by that Indian. On their return they lodged a complaint against Joshua but he was released later.
“I have got several messages and calls frightening me after the release of the alleged criminal,” says Jean Baptiste Niyonkuru, one of the victims.
He says there have been consultations between the public prosecutor, the alleged criminal, his wife and Ndikumana Fabrice and he was released later. “I don’t understand why they have released him. There were consultations with the public prosecutor while the case was already in the court”.
After those consultations, Niyonkuru says money was given to his colleague, Ndikumana. “Why should he corrupt the man if he is innocent? Besides, the trial was already in justice, I cannot understand how it came back to consultations between individuals,” he says, calling the justice to do its job.
The alleged criminals reject the accusation. Joshua, the Indian, says that he is innocent. “If there is any accusation, you should ask for clarifications in the justice”.
There is another alleged accomplice called Jean Berchmans Makoro, the uncle of Jean Baptiste Niyungeko. Makoro is the one who has helped Niyonkuru Jean Baptiste be in contact with Joshua. His summons was suspended by the public prosecutor of Bujumbura on Wednesday 08.
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