Kinshasa, July 23rd, 2025 (CPA).- The former Minister in charge of Justice Constant Mutamba has admitted on Wednesday to having signed a payment order for eight million dollars ‘in good faith’ during his trial before the Court of Cassation of the Democratic Republic of Congo for embezzlement of public funds. « The payment to which the public prosecutor refers comes from an account that my predecessor, Mrs. Rose Mutombo, has informed me is in existence, in which eight million dollars are held. It was after several meetings with the National Financial Intelligence Unit (Cenaref) and the General Inspection of Finance (IGF) that I have signed this mission order in good faith, which has resulted in the money being transferred to the contractor’s account, » has said Mr Mutamba.
When questioned about the embezzlement he is accused of, he has replied that the 19 million dollars are indeed in the bank and that he has never taken a single dollar from that sum.
« I note that the 19 million dollars for which the Minister in charge of Justice has been prosecuted for embezzlement are indeed in the bank at the time of my appearance before your honourable Court. I have never taken a single dollar. The prison construction contract has been approved by the head of government, » he has said.
The composition of the Court of Cassation
The former Minister Mutamba has also said that he had received instructions from the Council of Ministers, as well as a letter from the Prime Minister authorising the construction of prisons. ‘Yes, indeed, an instruction has been given for the construction of new prisons and the renovation of old prisons, as well as a letter from the Prime Minister, the substance of which emphasised the construction of prison buildings,’ he has said. Regarding the choice of ZiON, Constant Mutamba has pointed out that a company’s capacity is not measured by its revenue. ‘The company’s capacity is not measured by its revenue. The ZiON company had presented me with the IPPR accreditation, the list of its qualified engineers and the company’s financial statements. I would like to point out that no prisons have been built since 1960,’ he has said. As for the nature of the bank account opened by the ZION Company, he has replied that this escrow account has been opened at his request at Rawbank, to which the 19 million had been transferred. « I have written to Zion to open an account at Rawbank so that the 19 million can be sent and that this account be escrowed and how it should be disbursed. The letter is there. Initially, it was BCDC, but due to exorbitant bank charges, the account has been opened at Rawbank. This company’s headquarter is listed in the documents. This opened account should be monitored by the IGF and Cenaref, » has said Constant Mutamba. He has also stated that the contract signed with the company ZiON had been sent to the Prime Minister for approval. ‘The contract has been sent on April 1st 2025 for approval, and 10 days later, the Prime Minister having not responded, this is tantamount to tacit acceptance. So on April 16th, I have proceeded with the payment for the construction of the Kisangani prison in 18 months,’ he has declared.
Two public policy objections raised by Mutamba’s lawyers rejected
Much earlier, after a two-hour break to examine the two public policy objections raised by Constant Mutamba’s lawyers, the Court of Cassation has decided to reject them and proceed with the investigation of the case. ‘The Court of Cassation, ruling in the first and last instance, having heard the public prosecutor, accepts the objections and declares them unfounded,’ has declared the presiding judge. At the end of this lengthy questioning, the case has been adjourned until July 30th for further investigation. Former Justice Minister Constant Mutamba is being prosecuted for embezzling US$19 million in funds intended for the construction of a prison in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. CPA/