Prisoners ran illegal diamond mine from underneath their jail
Mon May 07, 2018 03:34:pm Africa
5.1K By Obiaks Blog
An illegal diamond mine has been discovered operating underneath a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Inmates, prison officers and local residents in Osio have been working in the mine to extract diamonds – with some prisoners not leaving the prison even after their sentences finished.
The head of the provincial division of Justice, Gérard Kombozi, has now ordered the closure of the makeshift mine and said anyone using it will be punished.
Radio Okapi reported Kombozi blamed prisoners as the operators of the mine.
He said: ‘There are some prisoners who have served their sentences but who refuse to leave this prison facility.
‘More than 30 people, including a prison guard, were found there the day the provincial justice division raided the site.
‘Some were doing finishing work on their boxes, while others were in farm holes.'
Diggers testified that they found and sold diamonds of 0.1 and 0.15 grams.
METRO UK
Inmates, prison officers and local residents in Osio have been working in the mine to extract diamonds – with some prisoners not leaving the prison even after their sentences finished.
The head of the provincial division of Justice, Gérard Kombozi, has now ordered the closure of the makeshift mine and said anyone using it will be punished.
Radio Okapi reported Kombozi blamed prisoners as the operators of the mine.
He said: ‘There are some prisoners who have served their sentences but who refuse to leave this prison facility.
‘More than 30 people, including a prison guard, were found there the day the provincial justice division raided the site.
‘Some were doing finishing work on their boxes, while others were in farm holes.'
Diggers testified that they found and sold diamonds of 0.1 and 0.15 grams.
METRO UK
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