Dr Eteni Longondo acquitted: the controversy over the embezzlement of response funds against Covid-19 resurfaces
Democratic Republic of Congo – Former Minister of Health, Dr Eteni Longondo, has been acquitted of all charges related to alleged embezzlement of funds allocated to the response to Covid-19. Although the acquittal was welcomed by the UDPS party of which he was an influential member, some Congolese did not fail to point out the suspicious timing of this court decision.
Indeed, the case of embezzlement of public funds had caused a great stir in public opinion and in the national and international media. According to the sources, nearly $6 million allocated to the response to Covid-19 would have been misappropriated.
Despite Longondo’s acquittal, some Congolese continue to question his innocence and consider that this court decision is surprising in its speed, especially in a context where the government is regularly criticized for its inability to fight against corruption and the misappropriation of public funds.
Former Minister Longondo was arrested in January 2021 and held in detention for several months before being released on bail. His release was hailed by his supporters and was seen as a victory for the opposition UDPS over the FCC-CACH coalition government.
It remains to be seen whether this court decision will calm the criticism and indignation of the Congolese or whether it will be perceived as an attempt to cover up the case. In any case, the Congolese authorities will have to show more transparency and accountability in the management of the funds allocated to the response against Covid-19 in order to avoid any suspicion of misappropriation of public funds in the future.