This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Published on June 21, 2020, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has delivered a significant blow to corruption by finding President Felix Tshisekedi's chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, guilty of embezzling almost $50m (£39m) of public funds.
The court in Kinshasa sentenced Kamerhe to 20 years' hard labour on Saturday, marking a major milestone in the country's fight against corruption.
However, Kamerhe's supporters have alleged that the trial is a political move designed to prevent him from standing for president, a claim that has been denied by the government.
The trial was marred by controversy after the judge presiding over the case, Raphael Yanyi, was murdered in May. A post-mortem examination later revealed that Yanyi died a violent death due to the blows of sharp points or knife-like objects.
Lebanese businessman Jammal Samih was also sentenced to 20 years' hard labour in the same trial, while a third man in charge of logistics at the presidential office faces two years in prison.
Kamerhe will also be banned from running for the presidency for 10 years after completing his sentence.
His lawyers have vowed to appeal, arguing that hard labour is prohibited by the DRC's constitution.
Anti-corruption activists have welcomed the verdict, with Florimond Muteba of the Observatory of Public Expenditure saying, 'I sincerely think that this is a positive sign for the fight against corruption.'
