DRC: interrogations after the latest revelations in the death of judge Raphaël Yanyi

Text by: RFI Follow

On Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice spoke of murder, blows to the head of the chief magistrate in charge of the Kamerhe trial and who died on May 26. An announcement by the Congolese authorities which threw a little more trouble on this case.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Kinshasa ,   Patient Ligodi

This thesis advanced by the Congolese authorities raises doubts. It started as soon as the press release from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice was published. First on social networks and in the local media, the thesis of the attack on judge Yanyi was clearly not convinced. Who would have attacked him? When did it take place? Why wait more than two weeks for the autopsy results? Many questions remain unanswered despite the fact that so far no relatives of the victim have reported any assault.

The judge's family also expressed their doubts, because until now, we have been talking about poisoning. The family of the deceased said they were surprised to learn the results from a press release. She regrets that the premiere was not reserved for her. She even mentions “  an artificial vagueness  ” which is alleged to be maintained around the cause of the judge's death and therefore she rejects the conclusions of two autopsies carried out .

What about poisoning

The family, who said they had remained in constant contact with the Kinshasa-Gombe prosecution, said that these results were different from those revealed in the preliminary reports. And these first reports, she said, had raised the suspicion of an otherwise unidentified substance in the body of judge Yanyi. The family was therefore awaiting further examinations to clarify the nature of the substance.

She thus rejects the assault thesis because, she adds, the judge did not drive alone. He was always accompanied by a bodyguard and a driver since the start of the Vital Kamerhe trial. At this point, it is difficult to say whether the meeting scheduled for this afternoon with the Deputy Minister and Minister of Justice will take place. The family still consults.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Ground floor
• Justice

On the same subject

DRC: Judge Raphaël Yanyi killed by blows to the head, according to the Deputy Prime Minister

DRC: civil society divided over the trial of Vital Kamerhe

DRC: 20 years in prison required against Vital Kamerhe