Ouagadougou: A fugitive shepherd, SD, accused of cattle theft, will learn his verdict on June 19th. SD was tried in absentia by the Bobo-Dioulasso Criminal Court on Friday, June 5, 2026, for the fraudulent appropriation of 27 oxen belonging to MG. Despite his initial arrest and partial admission to the charges, SD was released provisionally and has since disappeared, failing to appear for his trial.

According to Burkina Information Agency, during the hearing, it was established that the 27 cattle belonged to MG, who has not received any information about his missing livestock since SD appropriated them. MG was able to recover only three of the stolen animals. In court, MG's lawyer argued for SD's conviction, insisting that he be found guilty of the fraudulent appropriation.

The legal representative for the victim demanded either the return of the 24 remaining cattle or compensation equivalent to their value of 8,950,000 FCFA. Additionally, he sought reimbursement of over 2 million FCFA for expenses incurred while searching for the cattle. The prosecution argued that the fraudulent appropriation offense is evident and requested a sentence of two months' imprisonment, suspended, along with a fine of 500,000 CFA francs for SD. The court is set to announce its verdict on June 19, 2026.