A Congolese court has convicted former Justice Minister Constant Mutamba of embezzling millions of dollars intended for the construction of a prison in the northern city of Kisangani. He was sentenced on Tuesday to three years of forced labour.
Mutamba’s supporters have staged protests against the 37-year-old politician’s arrest. Just last week, clashes between activists and police in the capital, Kinshasa, forced the court to postpone delivering its verdict.
In May, the attorney general was authorised to prosecute Mutamba, who served as justice minister in 2024 and 2025 under President Félix Tshisekedi. He resigned in June following the case, which centres on the alleged misappropriation of $19 million charges he has consistently denied.
Delivering the ruling, Presiding Judge Jacques Kabasele of the Court of Cassation also announced that Mutamba would be barred from contesting elections for five years after completing his sentence.
Earlier this year, Mutamba had supported the initiation of legal proceedings against former President Joseph Kabila over alleged ties to the M23 rebel group.
