DRC: a close Tshisekedi arrested

A close associate of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and two other people were arrested for embezzlement, announced Monday a judicial source.

« They are accused by the prosecutor’s office of having received commissions and embezzled funds from a Canadian firm (…), without having quality, » we learned from a prosecutor.

The prime minister, Sylvestre Ilunga, was at the origin of the case, according to one of his ministers.

« His Excellency the Prime Minister condemns (…) the special mandate that Mr. the administrative coordinator of the personal services of the Head of State grants to the company Saint-Louis BGM SARL », reads in a letter of the Minister of the Portfolio ( supervision of public companies), Clement Kwete.

This mandate allowed this company to go to the diamond city of Mbuji-Mayi (center) « to conduct studies » on diamond mining by the Congolese public company MIBA (Mining Company of Bakwanga).

« Since there is clearly a lack of quality and usurpation of power (…), I instruct you to ensure, as far as you, the strict compliance with the instructions of the hierarchy in connection with the case, » continues the letter addressed to the Director General of MIBA.

The letter was copied to the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic.

The chairman of the board of the Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA) was suspended at the beginning of November.