Vital Kamerhe's condemnation in the DRC: how did we get there?

Vital Kamerhe next to the future president Felix Tshisekedi during the presidential campaign in the DRC. November 27, 2018. REUTERS / Kenny Katombe

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Vital Kamerhe's UNC denounces the conviction of its leader while lawyers for the director of cabinet to President Tshisekedi promise to appeal the sentence to 20 years of forced labor and 10 years of ineligibility. Vital Kamerhe, Felix Tshisekedi's main ally since November 2018, was convicted last Saturday for the embezzlement of $ 50 million of public funds intended for one of the emergency projects of the so-called 100-day program, found guilty in first instance. The director of cabinet's problems with the law go back almost a year.

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From our correspondent in Kinshasa, Sonia Rolley

On July 31, the General Inspectorate of Finance submits its report on a suspected embezzlement of $ 15 million (to the prosecution near the Court of Cassation). At the time already, the name of Vital Kamerhe is mentioned. Even within the presidency, relatives of Felix Tshisekedi already accuse him of having embezzled this money. But in September, during an interview, the Congolese head of state swept away this accusation against his ally citing a "back-commission case" without the money being "stolen from the Treasury".

Kamerhe attacks Minister of Finance

At the time already, civil society pointed to suspicions of embezzlement on the 100-day program, without these criticisms being heard. It is only when the new government is appointed and that the Congolese head of state decides to reconnect with the IMF, to avoid the State a cessation of payment in the last quarter of 2019, that the question of its management is put back on the table. According to several government sources, Felix Tshisekedi requests to confirm each expense required by the chief of staff.

In January, when the people of Kinshasa protested more and more against the delays in the announced works, it was Vital Kamerhe who defended the balance sheet alone for their first year in power and attacked the Minister of Finance, like the IMF and the World Bank, which he accuses of being responsible for the poor living conditions of the Congolese. Felix Tshisekedi chose him, this time, to request an audit, which the government dominated by relatives of former President Kabila turned into a judicial inquiry.

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  • Ground floor
  • Félix Tshisekedi
  • Justice
  • Corruption

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