DRC: Mutamba graft trial exposes justice system fault lines

Constant Mutamba, whose profile in the Democratic Republic of the Congo grew after he proposed the death sentence for officials who stole public money, has found himself on the wrong end of a corruption scandal.

A high court in Kinshasa has sentenced the 37-year-old former justice minister to three years of hard labor. He was convicted of embezzling $19.9 million (€18 million) in public funds to finance the construction of a prison in the northern city of Kisangani. Mutamba, who served as justice minister in 2024 and 2025 under President Felix Tshisekedi, resigned over the case in June 2025. The court  
also barred Mutamba from standing for election for five years after serving his sentence.

Previous hard labor sentences in the DR Congo have been served in prison, but it was unclear if the former minister's case would be an exception.

The Court of Cassation in Kinshasa ruled that Mutamba did not follow due process and sought illicit enrichment. Mutamba said he had verbal agreements in place with government authorities, but admitted he had no idea if the contractor assigned to build the prison, Zion Construction, was approved. He also denied spending any of the money.

Prosecutors said Mutamba gave the firm $19.9 million he took from a fund paid to the DRC by Uganda as compensation for Congolese victims of fighting between the Ugandan and Rwandan armies during the Second Congo Civil War in the 2000s.

Political witchhunt or fight against corruption?

In July, Mutamba argued he is the victim of a political plot. "They wanted the head of a man who disturbed the mafia. I am paying the price for my fight, and I will fight it till the end," he vowed.

The ex-minister had pleaded not guilty to the embezzlement charges.

His lawyer, Joel Kitenge, criticized the ruling, saying the matter was not handled transparently and that Mutamba "did not steal the money."

Mutamba's case has been seen as a test for how seriously the Congolese government is cracking down on corruption in the vast central African nation.

"The justice system has done its job, which we can only applaud," human rights activist Lambert Bakonda told DW.

"If we are fighting corruption and want the country to move forward, I would also like to see certain individuals who have been implicated in this corruption and embezzlement scandal convicted. Otherwise, it will be selective justice," he said, adding that the "weak are being targeted while the strong are left alone." 

Major roads leading to the court in the capital, Kinshasa, were blocked, while dozens of security force members were deployed before the ruling to deter protests. 

Police presence was reinforced around the Court of Cassation in Gombe suburb, where the verdict was handed down.

In Kisangani, Therese Bosambi, coordinator for the Youth of Hope organization, pointed to a view that Mutamba's conviction was a case of settling scores: "We clearly understand this is politics. It's to break him so that he can't run in the next elections. So, to silence him, they set him up for his strategies."

Gentil Sefu, a Congolese resident based in Kisangani, told DW he viewed Mutamba as "a political prisoner."

"A conviction does not happen with all the twists and turns that this case has had. We ask that Constant Mutamba be allowed to regain his civil and political rights," he added.

Congolese government's reaction

For its part, the Congolese government has remained relatively quiet. Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya deflected questions from DW. "I do not think this is the appropriate forum for commenting on these remarks. We cannot focus on a case that is being dealt with by the courts."

Mutamba took his first steps in politics in Kisangani, alongside Senator Jean Bamanisa. Before being appointed justice minister, Mutamba was close to Joseph Kabila, but left to form his own political party and contest the 2023 Congolese elections as a presidential candidate. He won less than 1% of the vote.

President Tshisekedi appointed Mutamba as justice minister in 2024, where he caused a stir by proposing the death penalty for public officials accused of embezzling public funds. He also backed legal proceedings against the former President Joseph Kabila.

Sources: AFP, Reuters

Etienne Gatanazi contributed to this article

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu