The Democratic Republic of Congo’s firebrand former justice minister, Constant Mutamba, on Wednesday protested his innocence at the opening of his trial for embezzling public funds, including reparations for war victims. Having achieved national notoriety for his hardline positions, including calling for people caught syphoning off taxpayers’ money to be executed, Mutamba resigned as minister on June 18 in the wake of the investigation.The 37-year-old is accused of having violated the rules in the awarding of a state contract to build a prison near the northwestern city of Kisangani, and of diverting nearly $20 million from a war victims’ reparations fund to do so. He argues he is the victim of a “political plot” to stop him from tackling the DRC’s widespread corruption. The central African nation ranks among the world’s most corrupt countries, according to the Transparency International group. Appearing before the Court of Cassation in the capital Kinshasa, Mutamba told the court: “I’ve suffered injustice, I’ve accepted to face this trial to prove my innocence, that’s why I resigned.””They wanted the head of a man who disturbed the mafia, I am paying the price for my fight and I will fight it till the end,” the politician added.- Supporters in court – Several of his supporters were in the courtroom to back Mutamba, a figure who has made his political fame in the DRC on the back of his tub-thumping speeches targeting judges and regional foe Rwanda alike.Mutamba is suspected of having violated public procurement rules in the award of the Kisangani prison contract to a Congolese company, Zion Construction SARL.According to prosecutors, Zion Construction was founded in March 2024 and “has no administrative or qualified staff” with just “a single active partner declared to the tax authorities”.On top of that Mutamba gave the firm $19.9 million from a fund paid to the DRC by Uganda intended to compensate Congolese victims of fighting between the Ugandan and Rwandan armies during the Second Congo War, according to prosecutors. The ex-minister however on Wednesday denied the prosecution’s accusation he did so without the prime minister’s approval. “This contract, which was first submitted to the Council of Ministers, was approved by the prime minister,” said Mutamba. Asked about where the war reparations went, the politician said: “The 19 million for which I am being prosecuted is indeed in the bank. I have never taken a single dollar.” “Can you embezzle money you haven’t touched?”Mutamba’s next hearing is due on July 30.
