The high-profile trial of Constant Mutamba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s former Minister of Justice, was postponed on Monday, just hours after opening at the Kinshasa Court of Appeal. The hearing, originally scheduled to begin this week, has been delayed for two weeks at the request of the defense. Mutamba, who resigned in June 2025 under mounting pressure, is facing charges of embezzling $19 million in public funds earmarked for the construction of a new prison in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province. Authorities allege that the funds, allocated by the Ministry of Justice in late 2024, were misappropriated under his watch. The case has drawn significant public attention in a country where corruption remains a major impediment to development.
In a fiery public statement following his resignation, Mutamba denied all wrongdoing and claimed the charges were politically motivated. He accused Rwandan intelligence services of orchestrating a smear campaign against him and alleged multiple attempts on his life, including efforts to poison him. “After escaping several attempts at poisoning and physical elimination, mafia networks infiltrated by our enemies have succeeded in humiliating me,” he said. Mutamba has previously drawn controversy for his extreme rhetoric. Earlier this year, he called for the death penalty for journalists reporting on Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Congo. In a social media post, he threatened punitive measures against reporters covering “activities of the Rwandan army and its M23 auxiliaries.”
Once a self-proclaimed anti-corruption crusader and a 2023 presidential candidate, Mutamba’s fall from grace marks a dramatic turn in Congolese politics. He was appointed Justice Minister in early 2024 under President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration, which had pledged to crack down on high-level graft. Despite its vast mineral wealth, the DRC continues to grapple with systemic corruption, weak institutions, and widespread poverty affecting its population of more than 100 million. The outcome of Mutamba’s trial is seen as a critical test of Kinshasa’s commitment to justice reform and anti-corruption enforcement.
