Burundi's private radio director gets bail over 3 Italian nuns' assassination case

Burundi's Bujumbura Appeal Court Wednesday granted a bail to Bob Rugurika, Director of the African Public Radio (RPA), detained over the case of the assassination of three Italian nuns at Kamenge Parish in Bujumbura on Sept. 7, 2014.

His lawyers have commended the release on bail of their client (Bob Rugurika).

"We're glad that our client (Bob Rugurika) has been granted a bail. He will be able to go back to his family," Lambert Nigarura, one of Rugurika's lawyers told a press conference upon receiving a copy of the court ruling.

"To be able to leave the prison, Bob Rugurika will however have to pay caution money amounting to 15 million Burundi francs (9, 554 U.S. dollars)," said Nigarura.

According to him, the court ruling also urges Bob Rugurika not to leave the Burundian territory.

Nigarura said, "Our client has been urged to see the prosecutor at Bujumbura First Instance Court every first Monday of each month. "

He indicated that Rugurika's lawyers are going to request the prosecutor to start the trial in depth so that accusations directed to their clients can be lifted.

Bob Rugurika was arrested on Jan. 20 this year and taken to Mpimba prison in the Burundian capital Bujumbura and was transferred to Muramvya prison two days later.

The prosecutor accused Bob Rugurika of three offences including the divulgation of the instruction secrecy, complicity in the assassination and hiding criminals of the three Italian nuns killed on Sept. 7, 2014.

Days before arresting Bob Rugurika, the private radio broadcast, in its news, who are believed, by the public, to be the "real" witnesses and participators in the assassination of the three Italian nuns.

The private radio demonstrated that suspects held in prison are not responsible for the assassination of the three Italian nuns, arguing that one of the suspects arrested shortly after the crime named Christian Claude Butoyi is a young man suffering from mental disorders. Endi