"100-day program" in the DRC: what are we blaming Minister Ntumba for?

The Minister of Vocational Education, John Ntumba, could be charged in the same investigation as Vital Kamerhe (photo) on the prefabricated houses. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

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The Congolese National Assembly should program in the coming days the plenary session which will decide whether to indict John Ntumba, Minister of Professional Education and close to Vital Kamerhe. The Attorney General at the Court of Cassation accuses him of having embezzled, while he was a member of the monitoring committee of the head of state's emergency program, just over $ 1.3 million.

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First, if the minister in charge of vocational training John Ntumba is likely to be charged, it is in the context of the same investigation as Vital Kamerhe , the case of prefabricated houses.

According to the prosecutor's requisitions, which RFI was able to consult, “  Mr. John Ntumba, then member of the monitoring committee, received on July 18, 2019 from the chief accountant of the presidency $ 1,342,180 intended for the monitoring committee.  According to the minister's relatives, this sum was used to pay administrative costs to unblock 167 containers arrived in Matadi and allow the erection of prefabricated houses at the Kokolo military camp.

Embezzlement

But the prosecutor did not believe this version: the destination given to this sum, still according to his requisitions, remains to be determined. It is for having tried to justify the use of this amount that Jeannot Muhima, in charge of the import / export service of the presidency, today shares the dock with Vital Kamerhe.

No other charges have been brought against Minister Ntumba at this stage, but the governor of Kasaï Central, Martin Kabuya, accuses him of having also diverted the money from the "100-day program" intended for his province.

Since the coming to power of Félix Tshisekedi, John Ntumba has acquired at least one residence in Kananga on a plot of 2,000 square meters. For those close to the minister, we can not blame him for this purchase in view of the volume of business that John Ntumba conducted before taking office.

►Also read: Case of the “100 days program” in the DRC: “There is no witch hunt”

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  • Ground floor
  • Justice
  • Corruption
  • Félix Tshisekedi

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