Congo’s justice minister resigns following allegations of embezzling $19 million

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo ‘s Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba announced his resignation on Wednesday following an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of $19 million, according to a statement released by the former minister.

Mutamba has been under investigation for allegedly embezzling funds intended to finance the construction of a prison in Kisangani, a city in the north of the country.

In his statement, Mutamba, 37, claimed the legal actions against him were a plot by the Rwandan government.

“After escaping several attempts at poisoning and physical elimination, the mafia networks, including those infiltrated in the service of our enemies, succeeded in humiliating me because of my commitment,” he said.

Earlier this year Mutamba advocated for the use of the death penalty for journalists who covered the actions of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the east, saying on the social media platform X that anyone who reports on “the activities of the Rwandan army and its M23 auxiliaries, will now suffer the full force of the law.”

Appointed in 2024, Mutamba was a presidential candidate in 2023 and has previously positioned himself as an anti corruption figure in a country whose development has been stifled by chronic corruption with its population of more than 100 million people struggling with high poverty and hunger levels despite its rich minerals.