Title: Judicial news of Salomon Idi Kalonda: A new episode in his trial
Introduction: The Salomon Idi Kalonda affair continues to animate legal news. During the public hearing on Monday, September 18, the Kinshasa-Gombe military court postponed until next Monday the hearing of the public prosecutor’s response to Salomon Idi Kalonda’s unique defense brief. This episode highlights the incompetence of the military court to prosecute a civilian. Salomon Idi Kalonda’s lawyers, for their part, argued for the annulment of the minutes drawn up during the procedure, arguing procedural irregularities. Let us analyze in detail this case which is making headlines.
I. The incompetence of the military court to judge a civilian
According to Salomon Idi Kalonda’s defense, the Kinshasa-Gombe military court would be incompetent to prosecute a civilian. This argument is based on article 246, paragraph 2 of the military judicial code, which clearly establishes the powers of this jurisdiction. According to lawyers, Salomon Idi Kalonda’s civilian status makes the military court unfit to judge him, which would constitute a violation of legal provisions. This point will be examined closely at the next hearing.
II. The request for cancellation of the minutes
Salomon Idi Kalonda’s defense also raised the problem of the quality of the judicial police officers (OPJ) who prepared the minutes of the procedure. According to the lawyers, these OPJs did not have the necessary quality to carry out this procedure. They therefore request the annulment of all the minutes drawn up, arguing for formal defects in the procedure. This request will also be examined at the next hearing.
III. Salomon Idi Kalonda: a sick man
It is important to note that during the hearing on September 18, Salomon Idi Kalonda appeared before the court as a sick man. He had been transferred from his prison cell to a medical center for treatment. This situation could play a role in the conduct of the trial, taking into account the state of health of the accused.
Conclusion: The Salomon Idi Kalonda case is experiencing a new episode with the postponement of the hearing of the public prosecutor’s response. The question of the military court’s incompetence to judge a civilian as well as the request for annulment of the reports are important points which will be examined at the next hearing. We will closely monitor the development of this case which continues to attract media and legal attention.