Kinshasa, June 8th, 2026 (CPA).- Agents and senior officials of the Industry Promotion Fund (FPI) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday began training as judicial police officers (OPJs) in Kinshasa to strengthen public revenue mobilization and combat illicit practices, CPA learned from an administrative source.
“The status of judicial police officer is not a privilege but a responsibility, as it guarantees the rule of law. The FPI, as a State instrument dedicated to the country’s industrialization, requires judicial expertise to effectively ensure public revenue mobilization and combat illicit practices,” said Guillaume Ngefa, Minister of State for Justice, as quoted by the source. “The FPI needs judicial expertise in revenue collection and in the fight against corruption, embezzlement and fraud,” he emphasized, according to the same source. The National Institute for Judicial Training (INAFORJ), located within the Palace of Justice in Gombe Municipality, is hosting the fifteen-day training session for about fifty FPI executives and agents, who are expected to serve as judicial police officers with limited jurisdiction. INAFORJ, an institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice, forms part of the Congolese authorities’ efforts to strengthen the rule of law, protect national resources and enhance the fight against economic and financial crime.
In his address, Guillaume Ngefa recalled that good governance and the fight against corruption are among the priorities of President Félix Tshisekedi. “This training is part of the ongoing reforms in the justice sector, including the operationalization of the Economic and Financial Criminal Court and the drafting of an anti-corruption bill,” the Minister of State added.
According to him, granting judicial police officer status to selected FPI agents will strengthen the prevention, detection and investigation of offences affecting the interests of this public institution, which he described as “a strategic instrument of the national industrialization policy.”
Ethics, integrity and professionalism
Continuing his remarks, Mr. Ngefa emphasized the importance of ethics and integrity. “The strength of the State does not lie in the extent of the powers it grants, but in the integrity of those who exercise them. The fight against corruption and offences against public assets begins with prevention, institutional discipline and the competence of those entrusted with enforcing the law,” he said. The Minister of State in charge of Justice further stressed that the credibility of the justice system depends on the quality of investigations, the rigor of procedures and the integrity of judicial actors. .
The training therefore marks an important step in the national strategy aimed at strengthening the rule of law, safeguarding public finances and promoting good governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For his part, FPI Director General Hervé Claude Batunkole explained that the training is intended to equip staff with the skills required to effectively perform their duties, enhance the Fund’s recovery capacity and ensure that their actions comply with professional ethics and human rights principles. Meanwhile, Gérard Katambwe, Acting Director General of INAFORJ, assured participants that the session meets the practical and operational requirements necessary for future judicial police officers to carry out their functions in accordance with the legal framework.