Moise Katumbi under investigation for allegedly acquiring Italian citizenship

Democratic Republic of Congo’s attorney general, Flory Numbi has revealed he has opened an investigation into reports opposition leader Moise Katumbi held Italian nationality as recently as 2017, which may disqualify him from contesting the December 23 presidential election.

Katumbi who seen as the leading opposition candidate to win the election, has been in exile since May 2016 after being accused by prosecutors of hiring mercenaries.

But he said earlier this month he would return home by June to announce his candidacy.

Paris-based magazine Jeune Afrique last week cited the administrative services of the town of San Vito dei Normanni in southern Italy as saying that Katumbi held Italian citizenship from October 2000 until January 2017.

Under Congo’s constitution, Congolese citizens cannot hold dual nationality, although the provision is laxly enforced and many prominent politicians are believed to have foreign citizenship.

Katumbi has repeatedly accused the government of trying to use illegal means to prevent him from contesting the election.