DRC: investigation into the death of Chérubin Okende concludes it was suicide
The former minister was found lifeless, in his car parked in a busy thoroughfare in Kinshasa, on July 13, 2023, creating a shock in the Congolese political class a few months before the general elections.
Congolese political opponent Chérubin Okende, here in March 2023, was found dead on July 13, 2013, his body riddled with bullets.
AP - Samy Ntumba Shambuyi
By: RFI Follow
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The prosecutor's office of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced Thursday February 29 that
the "autopsy
" and "
expertise
" established that the opponent Chérubin Okende had "
committed suicide
", far from the thesis of assassination put forward by his party, which is outraged by a “
denial of justice
” and asks the prosecution to make the autopsy report public.
Minister of Transport who resigned under the first five-year term of Félix Tshisekedi, Chérubin Okende was found dead in murky circumstances on July 13, 2023, sitting at the wheel of his car on a boulevard in Kinshasa.
Immediately, the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, as well as the European Union, denounced an “
assassination
”.
Several people were arrested, including his bodyguard, considered by Congolese justice as “
the first suspect
”.
But according to Firmin Mvonde, public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, the opponent “
committed suicide
”.
Foreign experts, from Belgium and South Africa in particular, were involved in this investigation and according to the prosecutor, all the reports converged towards the same conclusion.
“
We carried out the investigations in a methodical manner,”
said Firmin Mvonde.
We ordered other duties including the search of the private office of the deceased.
His own agenda was entered there.
The search carried out in front of the widow who confirmed in what we found that, three days before his death, Chérubin Okende had written, I quote: "I am at the end of my rope".
» The magistrate concluded: “we will continue the investigations” to “
know the determining role of the fugitives
”.
“Scandalous and absurd conclusions”
On the other hand, for Hervé Diakese, lawyer and spokesperson for Ensemble, Moïse Katumbi's party, the conclusions of the investigation are a "
denial of justice
": "
why are we refraining from making public the report of autopsy?
let's remain factual: neither the attorney general of the republic who concluded suicide, nor anyone else witnessed the last moments of Chérubin Okende, apart from the assassins.
But in this case, only forensic doctors, after an autopsy, can determine the causes of death and the circumstances of death.
The attorney general concludes that it was suicide, so he can close the judicial investigation.
But he doesn't say suicide by what.
Strangulation?
Asphyxiation?
Gunshot ?
He doesn't tell us all that.
And what is the bodyguard doing in detention until today?
Clearly, the Congolese authorities do not want the truth to be revealed in this assassination and we must therefore seek justice elsewhere.
»
For its part, the pro-democracy activist movement Lucha (Fight for Change) considered that “
the conclusions of the judicial investigations (..) are totally scandalous and absurd
”.
At the beginning of February, Okende's family said they were "
tired
" of waiting for the results of the autopsy carried out by the Congolese authorities and said they had decided to bury him.
Until now, the body of Chérubin Okende has never been returned to his family for burial.
Chérubin Okende resigned from his post as Minister of Transport in December, while Mr. Katumbi, leader of his political party, had just announced his candidacy for the presidential election and the withdrawal of his party from the ruling coalition.
(With AFP)
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