The fight against corruption is a crucial subject in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a new bill has just been validated by national deputies. This law aims to modify and complete the Penal Code, by instituting more severe penalties for acts of corruption, as well as imprescriptibility of legal proceedings for corrupters and the corrupt.
Initiated by the national deputy Pasi Zapamba Buka Jean-Pierre, this bill was approved by the Political, Administrative and Legal Commission (PAJ) of the National Assembly. The Commission underlined the importance of this law, pointing out a legal void in this area which had existed since 1940. According to the Commission, the Democratic Republic of Congo must comply with article 5 of the Treaty of Port Louis, which stipulates that each state is responsible for determining the sentencing range.
Pasi Zapamba clarified that his proposal aimed to fight against “grand corruption”, that carried out by the leaders, which deprives the Congolese State of its means. This new law increases the penalties and criminalizes all acts assimilated to corruption. It also establishes the imprescriptibility of public action in the event of corruption, which means that the corrupters and the corrupt can be prosecuted until the end of their lives.
Despite progress, the DRC still faces many challenges, such as the recent assassination of a civil society leader in the province of Beni. The issue of persistent insecurity, particularly in the east of the country, is still a concern. In this context, the government is also working on other projects, such as the renovation of roads in Kinshasa or the organization of the next Francophone Games.