Kinshasa, April 21st, 2026 (CPA).- The Gombe Court of Appeal, in the north of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Tuesday adjourned, in order to guarantee a fair trial, the case of a former coordinator of a public institution being tried for alleged embezzlement of funds, during a hearing. “To guarantee a fair trial, we are adjourning the hearing in the case of the Office of the Prosecutor General versus Chançard Bolukola, former coordinator of the Fund for Compensation and Reparation of Victims of Uganda’s activities in the DRC, to Friday, April 24th, 2026. The adjournment is contradictory with regard to all parties,” declared the presiding judge. During the hearing devoted to the testimony of beneficiaries of the funds, the defendant Bolukola, currently in pre-trial detention, stated before the court: “I would prefer that my lawyers be present so that I may continue my testimony.”
According to the Prosecutor General’s office, Mr. Bolukola, former Director General of FRIVAO, allegedly awarded public contracts worth several million dollars to two companies whose legal existence, identity of managers and physical addresses could not be established. When questioned about the location of one of these companies, the defendant indicated that it was located “not far from ShowBuzz, in Socimat,” a statement deemed vague by the Court, as investigators were unable to locate the entity. He also stated that he did not know the managers of these companies. The hearing was attended by several witnesses, including Teddy Luamba, former Minister of Energy and Electricity and current Director General of SNEL, as well as representatives from the DGCMP, ICCN, DIVO SARL, Global Assurance and the Tropic Architecture firm. After examining the defendant’s request, the Court decided to adjourn the case.