Kinshasa, May 29th, 2025 (CPA) – On Thursday, the National Assembly voted to authorize an investigation by the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation against the Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, who is suspected of having embezzled USD 39 million from the construction of a prison in Kisangani, Tshopo province (north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo).
‘Having regard to the rules of procedure of the National Assembly, especially Articles 106 and 237, and considering the conclusions of the special and temporary committee set up by decision number 17/cab/p/2025 of May 24th, 2025 signed by the President of the National Assembly, Vital Kamhere; having regard to the necessity and urgency of the matter, adopts the following resolution: Article 1, the prosecution and defense of Mr. Constant Mutamba is hereby authorized. Constant Mutamba’, said Jacques Ndjoli, rapporteur for the National Assembly, reading out the report of the ad hoc committee made up of the chairmen of the parliamentary groups. Well before the report was read out, President Vital Kamerhe pointed out that the matter had been referred to the National Assembly on May 20th, 2025 by the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, with a view to obtaining authorization for the prosecution of Minister Constant Mutamba.
According to the letter from the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation read out to the National Assembly, this request to prosecute Minister Constant Mutamba was made on suspicion of misappropriation of public funds in connection with the construction of the Kisangani prison. In this letter, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation had pointed out to the elected representatives of the people the absence of a no-objection notice in this public contract estimated at 19 million dollars.
The letter also stated that the funds used came from the compensation fund for victims of the six-day war in Kisangani (north-east of the country), which should normally have been managed by another public body called the ‘Compensation fund for victims of Uganda’s illegal activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo’ (FRIVAO). In his correspondence, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation also revealed a number of shortcomings in the management of Zion Construction Sarl, which, he claimed, had no administrative staff and had only been set up in March this year with capital of USD 5,000. CPA/