Kinshasa, May 26th, 2025 (CPA) – Two defendants convicted in the first instance of participation in an insurrectional movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo were acquitted on Monday for lack of evidence, during an appeal trial before the High Military Court in Kinshasa.
‘The High Court ruled that the prosecution’s appeal is admissible but unfounded. It finds that the facts are not established and consequently acquits the defendants Papy Pungu Lwamba and Christian Numbi Nkulu and dismisses them from all proceedings’, has declared the magistrate general brigadier Jean Paulin Ntshayikolo, president of the composition. « Nothing concrete has been presented as evidence against the said defendants », he has added.
The High Court has also noted that at first instance, the military prosecutor’s office had requested five (5) months’ imprisonment for the defendants, with extensive mitigating circumstances. In addition, the first judge of the Kinshasa-Gombe military court had found that there was doubt due to a lack of evidence on the part of the prosecuting officer. For his part, the presiding judge, Mr Ntshayikolo, has pointed out that ‘the same legal institution that had previously requested five years’ imprisonment for these 2 defendants, with extensive mitigating circumstances, has now requested 20 years‘ imprisonment before the High Military Court on appeal, which is not normal’.
He has added that the prosecution has not provided any evidence establishing communication between the two defendants and the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC), John Numbi, who is currently a deserter. In this trial, the defendants Papy Pungu Lwamba and Christian Numbi Nkulu have been charged with participating in an insurrectionary movement by communicating with the deserter General John Numbi and of having provided funds to support the M23 rebel movement.