The role of lawyers in the justice system is crucial to ensuring that every individual has the right to a fair defense. In the case of Stanis Bujakera, deputy publication director of ACTUALITE.CD and correspondent for Jeune Afrique, the lawyers denounce a flagrant injustice during the appointment of an expert approved by the court.
Indeed, Stanis Bujakera’s defense had requested for weeks a second opinion by an independent expert, given the inconsistencies present in the investigation file. However, the court chose to appoint an expert who is also a clerk before the same courts, thus raising questions about his impartiality.
The lawyers raise the fact that this appointed expert cannot demonstrate sufficient independence from the court, given that he is an employee of the State and that he is a clerk before it. Furthermore, no one can attest to their skills in networking, graphology and other specific expertise necessary for Stanis Bujakera’s case.
Faced with this situation, the lawyers ask the court to give their client the opportunity to appeal. They believe that the choice of the expert does not respond to the defense’s requests and calls into question the transparency and fairness of the trial.
It is important to emphasize that the investigation carried out by Actualite.cd and partners from the Congo Hold-Up consortium, in collaboration with Jeune Afrique, revealed technical elements contradicting the accusations made against Stanis Bujakera. The prosecution’s arguments based on traceability through metadata and IP address would be technically impossible according to the WhatsApp, Telegram and Bullhost platforms.
In this case, the defense therefore needed a second opinion by a qualified expert to highlight the weaknesses of the case and prove the innocence of Stanis Bujakera.
Pending the court’s decision, which is expected no later than Monday, the case is adjourned to December 22, two days after the official date of the general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is essential to guarantee the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair defense for each individual involved in a legal case. In the case of Stanis Bujakera, it is crucial that the appeal of his lawyers is heard and that an independent second opinion can be carried out in order to guarantee a fair and equitable judgment.