This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo handed down a 20-year prison sentence with hard labor to former Chief of Staff Vital Kamerhe for his role in a high-profile corruption case.
The court found Kamerhe guilty of diverting public funds allocated for a national housing project, which aimed to provide prefabricated houses for soldiers and police.
Lebanese businessman Samih Jammal was also convicted of embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering in connection with the project, which involved the construction of 4,500 houses.
According to the court, Kamerhe and Jammal had a “criminal intention” to divert approximately $48 million from the housing project.
However, Kamerhe's lawyers have vowed to challenge the judge's decision, arguing that there was insufficient evidence presented during the hearings.
