CNPAV regrets inclusion of clause obliging the Congolese state to plead for the lifting of US sanctions against Dan Gertler and his affiliates.
The coalition Le Congo Is Not For Sale (CNPAV) reveals that the Democratic Republic of Congo has pledged to assist Israeli businessman Dan Gertler in lifting US sanctions against him and his affiliates, through the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ventora Group.
This coalition of NGOs made this revelation in its statement of April 21, 2022. This, after having participated in the round table of restitution on the agreement for the amicable settlement of all disputes between the DRC and the Ventora group of l economic operator Dan Gertler, organized by the Presidency of the Republic from April 13 to 14, 2022.
The CNPAV notes with amazement, in its statement, the inclusion in the agreement signed by the DRC and the Ventora group belonging to Dan Gertler, of a clause requiring the Congolese State to defend the agreement with the media, NGOs and the US administration to obtain the lifting of targeted US sanctions against Dan Gertler and his affiliates.
For the CNPAV, “this commitment, almost immoral, made by the DRC is totally incomprehensible and unacceptable, especially since it risks causing the use of other important financial resources of the Congolese taxpayer through the actions of lobbying the US administration”, notes the statement of this coalition of NGOs.
Jean-Claude Mputu, spokesman for the CNPAV, finds it unacceptable that the DRC is committed to promoting the image of a corrupt person.
“For the CNPAV, this is unacceptable. Indeed, at a time when in several countries Dan Gertler is being prosecuted for corruption in the DRC, my country where he has victims of his actions and where the director of the deputy cabinet of the Head of State , the main negotiator of the agreement himself recognizes that Dan Gertler was part of the system of predation of our mining resources, my government via the presidency undertakes to promote the image of a corrupt person and to plead for the lifting of sanctions “, denounced Jean-Claude Mputu to ACTUALITE.CD and DESKECO.COM.
For him, the round table with civil society on the restitution of the amicable settlement agreement for all disputes between the DRC and the Ventora group was not an exercise in transparency.
“Basically the round table with civil society was not, contrary to the assertions of some, an exercise in transparency but rather the beginning of the implementation of the agreement by the presidency. Dan Gertler has just made my country his main lawyer and his launderer, which is immoral and inadmissible,” said Jean-Claude Mputu.
It should be noted that following the differences of opinion on the assessment of the DRC-Dan Gertler memorandum of understanding, two CNPAV organizations wished to leave this coalition. These are the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP) and the Civic Education Network in Congo (RECIC). The CNPAV currently has 14 members.
