The ministry of Justice has started its new 2018-2019 legal year this 2 October after magistrates have spent one month on holidays. Fighting corruption and accelerating pending files to be the major activities of the ministry.
Aimée Laurentine Kanyana: “21 magistrates are detained due to corruption and economic embezzlement”
Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, Minister of Justice says the ministry expects to promote dialogue with investors by identifying all difficulties related to justice and find solutions. “We will also work in accordance with the National Development Plan to strengthen proximity justice,” she says adding that the justice ministry will combat corruption and economic embezzlement. Minister Kanyana says 21 judges have been detained for corruption and about BIF 1,750 billion have been collected during the past legal year.
Sylvestre Nyandwi, Director of Public Prosecutions has also said about BIF 687 million have been collected thanks to the fight against corruption. The anti-corruption court and other prosecutions have collected BIF 581, 7 million and BIF 105,668 million. The Supreme Court has collected BIF 1,338 million in the past year.
As for Gabriel Rufyiri, the chairman of the corruption watchdog- OLUCOME, he says that collected amount of money will disappear at any moment if nothing is done. “The ministry of Justice should make sure that money reaches its destination even though the figures still raise doubts,” says Rufyiri.
Justice achievements are satisfactory
Minister Kanyana has said the majority of complaints submitted to justice during the last 2017-2018 year were related to land conflicts, penal and trade issues as well as the defense of the country abroad. “6259 files which require field visits have been executed during the campaign conducted in five provinces thanks to the support of UNDP,” she says. Sylvestre Nyandwi, Director of Public Prosecutions says about 28,400 cases were received by magistrates throughout the country and about 26,900 were handled.
Minister Aimée Laurentine Kanyana also says centers for juveniles in conflict with law have also received 311 young people among whom 206 received free juridical assistance before being released. The Justice Minister says about 3000 detainees have been released while sentences of 1365 detainees have been reduced thanks to the presidential pardon.
“About 600 demonstrators in 2015 crisis have been released and are now part of joint security committees” says the Kanyana.
President Pierre Nkurunziza has said the start of the new legal year is an opportunity to review what happened in the previous year. He invites all judges and magistrates to work hard despite some challenges. He has also awarded ten magistrates for their good achievements by giving each a certificate of merit and an amount of BIF 500,000.
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