Kinshasa, August 5th, 2026 (CPA).- The case concerning the misappropriation of funds from the Fund for Reparation and Compensation for Victims of Uganda’s Illegal Activities (FRIVAO) in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been postponed on Wednesday by the Court of Cassation until August 19th, due to the unavailability of a judge who participated in court proceedings. “Today’s hearing is devoted to pleadings, but the Court will have to postpone until August 19th, due to the unavailability of a judge who has participated in the proceedings,” has declared the president of the bench, the Judge Jean Ubulu.
The Court has also ordered the registrar to notify the date of the coming hearing to the absent parties, in particular the civil claimant Sengele Placide and the defendant Constant Mutamba. “… with instructions to the registrar to notify the date of the next hearing to the civil claimants Placide Sengele and the defendant Constant Mutamba,” has clarified the Judge Jean Ubulu. The closing arguments were expected in this case following the completion of the preliminary investigation at the previous hearing.
The case concerns, in particular, the former Minister of State and Minister in charge of Justice, Constant Mutamba, and the acting coordinator of FRIVAO, Chancard Bolukola, who are being prosecuted for alleged embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the charges relate in particular to disbursements of US$14.299 million to the benefit of Congo Energy, US$4 million benefiting the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (CINC), US$200,000 to the Provincial Assembly of Tshopo, US$1.024 million to Divo SARL and US$715,864 to Tropic Architecture, for a total amount of over US$20.2 million.
During the first hearing, Constant Mutamba had left the courtroom after contesting the conduct of the preliminary investigation, subsequently denouncing a ‘fabricated case’, ‘false statements’ in his summons to appear and what he describes as ‘arbitrary’ proceedings. The former Minister in charge of Justice was also conspicuous by his absence at the previous hearing, which was devoted to the continuation of the investigation.