Mixed reactions in Kinshasa over Kamerhe's sentencing

<p>Mixed reactions in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo following the jailing of the former chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe.</p> <p>The former National Assembly speaker was handed down a 20 year sentence for corruption with hard labour Saturday.</p> <p>“Of course Kamerhe was convicted of so-called “embezzlement of public funds”. But the judiciary was unable to give tangible evidence proving his guilt, so that people would give credit to this sentence”, Olivier Bofulu, a taxi driver said.</p> <p>For Nathan Mayele, a bartender, “With the funds they are given to improve the living conditions of the population – creating roads and building military bases, they transfer it to their own pockets. They are interested in their own interests and not the interest of the country. I totally agree with the court’s decision. It did the right thing.”</p> <p>The high profile case has tested the government of President Felix Tshisekedi’s anti-graft credentials.</p> <p>The 61-year old former aid to the Congolese President, was convicted for diverting more than $50 million of public funds, the court in Kinshasa said.</p> <p>A large chunk of the money was earmarked for building 1,500 social housing units under a programme announced by President Tshisekedi after his inauguration in January 2019.</p> <p><strong><span class="caps">AFP</span></strong></p>

They are interested in their own interests and not the interest of the country.