Afriland in the DRC: international outcry after the death sentence of whistleblowers
The bank Afriland First Bank CD, in Kinshasa.
© RFI / Sonia Rolley
Text by: Sonia Rolley Follow
2 min
The United Nations Joint Office for United Nations Rights is very concerned about the death sentences of the two whistleblowers of Afriland First Bank CD.
Whistleblowers must be protected, not persecuted, says UNJHRO.
The United States and Belgium say they share its concern.
This judgment rendered on September 23, 2020 continues to raise many questions.
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The judgment
presented to some local media by the lawyers of Afriland First Bank CD is 25 pages long, it bears the stamp and signature of the registry.
It says that the two whistleblowers were convicted of five counts, including forgery and forgery.
This is one of their arguments for claiming that the accusations against the bank are false.
But the Congolese lawyer for the NGO PPLAAF, which supports whistleblowers, says he went to the registry.
The judgment, certified true that it found there, is one page shorter.
In this document, whistleblowers are not, for example, found guilty of writing forgery and forgery.
On the other hand, with regard to the death sentence, the two documents are identical.
The judges considered that the acts committed by the two whistleblowers constituted an offense against public security with the aim of attacking people and property.
An offense punishable by death.
They are therefore condemned more heavily than if they had been part of an armed gang.
In this case, only the chief could have been sentenced to death.
Any other participant would have risked 10 to 15 years in prison.
Another element that shows the harshness of this judgment: the two former auditors are sentenced to four years in prison for the violation of professional secrecy when the Penal Code provides for a maximum penalty of six months.
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DRC
Afriland case
Justice