The saga of the embezzlement of funds from the Bukanga-Lonzo agro-food park involving former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo continues to make headlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While press releases and complaints are coming from all sides, the Matata clan is now engaged in a media battle on social networks.
In this case, the Attorney General at the Constitutional Court, Jean-Paul Mukolo, issued a second warrant to appear against the former head of the Congolese government. He was summoned to appear before the Court this Wednesday at 11 a.m., after having challenged several previous invitations. The prosecutor specifies in the warrant that in the event of non-appearance, coercive measures will be taken in accordance with the law.
Augustin Matata Ponyo, for his part, reacted strongly to this summons by filing a complaint against the Attorney General and the President of the Senate, Modeste Bahati, at the Court of Cassation. He accuses these two personalities of violating the Constitution and the laws of the country with the aim of eliminating him as a candidate for the presidency of the Republic. In a tweet, he said: “Who could imagine that the Attorney General and the President of the Senate could combine to violate the Constitution and the laws of the country in order to eliminate a candidate for the presidency of the Republic?”.
In an article entitled “What I think”, Augustin Matata Ponyo expresses his indignation at the actions of the Attorney General and the President of the Senate. He claims that their behavior goes against the ethical and professional requirements of their duties. He accuses Modeste Bahati of forgetting his mission to protect his fellow senators and accuses Jean-Paul Mukolo of manipulating legal files against him, which would be a negation of the essence of the law.
The saga of the embezzlement of funds from the Bukanga-Lonzo agro-food park therefore continues to cause tension and twists and turns in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the protagonists clash on social networks, the population is closely following the evolution of this affair which puts the reputation and credibility of certain political figures at stake.