ASADHO Accuses DRC’s National Electricity Company of Embezzling Over $938 Million
The African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO) has accused the National Electricity Company (SNEL) of embezzling more than $938.7 million, including over $114.9 million in unpaid duties and taxes and $823.8 million in fines.
In a press release issued on August 12, ASADHO stated that this amount is owed to the General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA) in connection with the importation of electrical energy for mining companies operating in the Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces. The alleged misappropriation spans a period of 10 years, from 2014 to the present.
ASADHO revealed that the DGDA, in a letter dated March 8, 2024, demanded payment from SNEL, explaining that “the companies benefiting from the imported electrical energy had already paid SNEL the sums intended for customs, but SNEL failed to transfer them to the DGDA.”
SNEL had requested the Ministry of Finance to redirect the recovery efforts against it, effectively exonerating the mining companies. ASADHO argues that this action confirms the embezzlement of funds.
“There is a mafia network of corruption within SNEL holding onto this money,” Jean-Claude Katende, ASADHO’s national president, stated to ACTUALITE.CD on Tuesday. He urged the judiciary to investigate and expose those involved, whether they are still in office or not.
Corruption and the misappropriation of public funds remain a serious issue in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the first half of this year alone, the “Congo is Not for Sale” coalition, composed of national and international organizations, reported nearly $1 billion in scandals, uncovering over 10 cases of corruption and similar offenses.
