A former DR Congo Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba, has been jailed for three years with forced labor for stealing $19 million of state funds.
He was sentenced by a top court in Kinshasa in what is seen as one of DR Congo’s high-profile corruption crackdown.
According to prosecutors, the $19 million was meant
for the construction of a prison in the northern part of DR Congo.
Major roads around the Court of Cassation in Kinshasa were blocked on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, as the verdict was handed down.
Security forces were deployed around the courthouse in in anticipation of unrest.
In its ruling, the court said
Mutamba acted with the intent of illicit enrichment and bypassed legal procedures.
The former Justice Minister pleaded not guilty.
Mutamba resigned in June this year. His lawyer, Joel Kitenge, called the verdict unjust.
The former minister, a 2023 presidential candidate, once campaigned as an anti-corruption advocate. But his tenure was marked by controversy, including a proposal to reintroduce the death penalty for journalists reporting on Rwanda-backed rebels.
While forced labor sentences in Congo are typically served in prison, it remains unclear if Mutamba will face the same fate.
This case is seen as a key test in Congo’s ongoing battle against deep-rooted corruption.
Source:Africa Publicity