Following the revelation of an embezzlement of more than $70.5 million in the “Tshilejelu” and “Kinshasa zero hole” projects, the Center for Research in Public Finance and Local Development (CREFDL) welcomes the government’s approval of the bill to establish a national economic and financial prosecutor’s office. This decision is a crucial step in the fight against corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CREFDL welcomes this progress and stresses the importance of a capacity-building program for magistrates in financial and economic governance. It stresses the need to allocate adequate financial resources to the national economic and financial prosecutor’s office to ensure its effectiveness. According to the organization, an annual budget equivalent to that of the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) is essential to effectively combat complex economic and financial crime.
CREFDL also recommends total administrative and financial independence for the financial prosecutor’s office, to enable it to act with complete impartiality. It advocates a clarification of the links between the National Economic and Financial Prosecutor’s Office and other State control bodies, in order to ensure optimal coordination in the fight against corruption.
In a context where the Congolese justice system is regularly criticized for its corruption, the creation of such a specialized institution demonstrates the government’s desire to actively combat this scourge. President Félix Tshisekedi and the Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, have repeatedly expressed their determination to fight corruption and reform the Congolese judicial system.
Furthermore, a report by the NGO RCN Justice and Democracy highlights the precarious working conditions within the judicial authorities, the politicization of decisions and loyalty as factors that foster corruption. This study highlights the challenges facing justice in the DRC and underlines the need for firm action to restore the integrity and efficiency of the judicial system.
In conclusion, the establishment of a national economic and financial prosecutor’s office represents a significant step forward in the fight against corruption in the DRC. It is now up to the competent authorities to guarantee the means and independence necessary for its proper functioning, in order to strengthen the rule of law and restore citizens’ confidence in the judicial system.