Prominent anti-corruption activist Faustin Ndikumana has been arrested in Burundi after claiming that judges were being forced to pay bribes in exchange for their appointment. The reason for his arrest remains unclear, as no official charges have been pressed against him yet and no trial date has been determined.
Ndikumana, head of the advocacy group PARCEM, declared earlier this month at a news conference that he had written to Justice Minister Pascal Barandagiye to inform him that his organization had received information from newly-appointed judges that they had been forced to pay between $1,000 and $1,500 for their position. Ndikumana’s lawyer claims that he was arrested for defamation against the Justice Minister, but this information has not been confirmed.
Burundi has been ranked by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in East Africa. According to international analysts and donors, corruption remains one of the main factors hindering the country’s development.
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