Yesterday, the Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo issued a 10 -year ruling to former Prime Minister Augustine Matata Bunio after being convicted of embezzling public funds.
This ruling comes against the backdrop of investigations into embezzlement of $ 247 million for the project of establishing an industrial agricultural park in the Bokanka-Lonszo region.
The charges were also brought against Motumbo, the former governor of the central bank, and Gropel Christo, a South African businessman, where they were sentenced to 5 years in prison for each of them, in addition to the latter’s expulsion from the country after the execution of the ruling.
It is noteworthy that Matata Bonio held the position of Prime Minister between 2012 and 2016 during the era of former President Joseph Kabila, and he is currently a vice -parliamentarian and head of the opposition party “Leadership and Governance for Development”.
For his part, Matata’s lawyer described the ruling as a political decision aimed at targeting his client, stressing that the Constitutional Court has become as a tool in the hands of the political authority, while it has not yet been issued by official reactions by Matata Bunio himself.
This condemnation comes within the framework of the increasing judicial moves in the Democratic Congo to combat corruption and enhance transparency, in light of great economic and political challenges facing the country.
