Kinshasa, April 21st, 2026 (CPA).- The Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Kinshasa-Gombe Court of Appeal on Tuesday requested the same Court to hear the Chairman of the Board of the Fund for the Reparation of Victims of Uganda (FRIVAO) as an informant rather than as a witness, during a hearing in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. “On the issue of his status, which is the main question, it must be addressed… We have been enlightened by the statement of the appearing party who said that previously, when he was appointed, it was the same act that appointed both individuals. He was Deputy Coordinator and withdrew voluntarily. Why? We do not know. This link, this proximity, in our view, does not allow him to appear as a witness, but rather as an informant, because the two are not strangers,” stated the prosecutor.
He further argued that “for the appearing party, the defendant is not a completely unrelated third party. At some point, they were appointed under the same act, worked within the same institution, and today are appearing in relation to acts committed within that same institution. Therefore, there is a likelihood that their interests may converge during the proceedings. To avoid this, we consider that the appearing party should be treated as an informant, allowing the Court to proceed properly in compliance with the law.” Earlier, the presiding judge, Ms. Mambika, questioned Bismark Kitenge, acting Chairman of the Board of FRIVAO. “You are Chairman of FRIVAO, and the defendant was acting coordinator. I do not know whether there are any links between you?” she asked. “He was appointed before I took office. (Do you know him well?). I know him as acting coordinator. For the record, when he had previously been appointed, I was included in the same decree as deputy coordinator, but I withdrew. I did not serve,” replied Mr. Kitenge.
The prosecution recommended that a copy of the ministerial decree appointing Mr. Kitenge as acting Chairman of the Board by the Minister of Justice be submitted to the Court, which the concerned party complied with.