The Democratic Republic of Congo’s justice minister, Constant Mutamba, has resigned after prosecutors launched an investigation into allegations that he embezzled public funds. His resignation letter, addressed to President Felix Tshisekedi and the government, was made public on Wednesday.
Mutamba, who previously advocated for the death penalty for corrupt officials, stepped down shortly after prosecutors requested parliament’s permission on Monday to open a formal inquiry into accusations that he misused funds earmarked for a $40 million prison project in the northeastern city of Kisangani.
The minister, who also holds a parliamentary seat, strongly denied any wrongdoing, describing the allegations as a “stab in the back” in his resignation letter. He claimed that the charges against him were part of a politically motivated campaign, pointing fingers at neighbouring Rwanda, with whom he has a long-standing feud.
Mutamba, appointed as justice minister in May 2024, has been an outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, which UN experts allege backs the M23 rebel group responsible for prolonged violence in eastern DRC. In his resignation letter, he accused M23 of plotting to “physically eliminate” him.
Following the National Assembly’s approval of a judicial investigation last month, authorities on Monday barred Mutamba from leaving Kinshasa. He faces accusations of authorising an unauthorised payment of $19.9 million from a fund intended for victims of conflict in eastern DRC to a construction firm.
“I did not take a single dollar in public funds,” he insisted in his letter of resignation.
Corruption scandals among public officials are not uncommon in the DRC, which ranks 163rd out of 180 nations on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index.
