DRC's embattled chief of staff denied provisional release

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s embattled chief of staff will continue to stay in prison.

On Saturday, the Congolese justice rejected a request for the provisional release of Vital Kamerhe, following his indictment by President Félix Tshisekedi.

State prosecution accused Kamerhe of embezzling state funds through the award of contracts by mutual agreement to fictitious companies.

That’s according to the order of a Kinshasa court, which added that ‘’ there are serious indications of guilt’‘.

In response to his request for provisional release, a Kinshasa Matete court also ordered his pre-trial detention for 15 days at the capital prison.

Court document cited the example of a company that received $47 million, which ‘’ disappeared from the bank without being allocated to the construction of 3,000 prefabricated houses.

The document also cites another company that received ‘’‘$10 million for the supply of drugs when the company is not in the pharmaceutical business and just owns a hardware store’‘.

The 61 year old has denied these accusations. Kamerhe was taken to the central prison on Wednesday after a 6 hour hearing by the prosecution.

His case was heard as part of a vast anti-corruption probe in Central Africa’s most populous nation.

Kamerhe who’s a key figure in Congolese politics, was appointed Director of cabinet a day after President Tshisekedi’s inauguration in 2019.

AFP