DRC: MP and opponent Jean-Jacques Mamba arrested and placed under house arrest

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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the opponent Jean-Jacques Mamba spent his first night under house arrest in a hotel after a muscular arrest in the morning of Saturday in Kinshasa. This deputy from the Mouvement de Liberation du Congo (MLC), author of the petition for the dismissal of Jean-Marc Kabund from the post of First Vice-President of the National Assembly, is being prosecuted for forgery and forgery.

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From our correspondent in the DRC, Pascal Mulegwa

Jean-Jacques Mamba appeared on Saturday before the Court of Cassation. He was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed five days earlier by an elected official of the ruling coalition, accusing him of having fraudulently inserted his name and forged his signature on the petition against Jean-Marc Kabund who is , him, from the non-majority presidential camp in the National Assembly.

Pressure…

Blue shorts, yellow polo shirt, Jean-Jacques Mamba, in his forties, defended himself alone at first. He was unceremoniously arrested by the police at his home early in the morning and referred to the prosecution, he could not constitute counsel before the court. The MP said that his colleague, Simon Mpiana, from Vital Kamerhe's party, had indeed signed the petition. His co-signers speak of a volteface on the basis of pressures within the presidential coalition, of which he is a member. Solange Masumbuko, of the pro-Kabila coalition, the FCC: “  Within the coalition, he (Simon Mpiana) was under pressure. It was not only him who crossed his signature. There are three of them. We still have to be responsible and take responsibility for what we do . "

To justify the deputy's arrest, the prosecution spoke of flagrancy, which is far from convincing the party of the accused. Jacques Djoli, Inspector General of the MLC declares: "  How can we speak of flagrancy when there has been a complaint? We are in the middle of manipulating and exploiting justice for political ends but in the same practices that have degraded and perverted our democracy and our rule of law . "

The National Assembly publicly protested this arrest, which was carried out without lifting the deputy's immunity.

The presidents of the parliamentary groups, for their part, demanded the release of Mamba, the suspension of the proceedings and "apologies" from the prosecution. The court decided to adjourn the hearing until May 27.

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