Congo-Kinshasa: Former DR Congo Prime Minister Sentenced to Hard Labour for Corruption

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Augustin Matata Ponyo served as the Democratic Republic of Congo's prime minister for four years.
21 May 2025
allAfrica.com

Former Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo was sentenced to ten years of forced labour for embezzling around $245 million of public funds, alongside Deogratias Mutombo, the former governor of the central bank, who received a five-year sentence.

Ponyo's lawyer said the ruling was "unfair and politically motivated". The embezzled funds went to the Bukanga-Lonzo Agro-Industrial Park, a major agricultural project that addresses chronic food shortages.

Ponyo served as prime minister from 2012 to 2016 and now heads the country's Leadership and Governance for Development party (LGD). Ponyo was the finance minister from 2010 to 2012, and received praise from the International Monetary Fund for stabilising the country's economy at that time.

The case has stretched over almost four years since the country's Inspectorate General of Finance reported the theft from the Bukanga-Lonzo Agro-Industrial Park in 2020.

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