Controversy Erupts Over $70 Million Allegation Involving Former DRC Mines Minister
The alleged payment of $70 million involving former Minister of Mines Antoinette N’samba Kalambayi has sparked significant controversy and raises the possibility of legal action.
In May, the civil society organization Congo N’est pas à Vente issued a press release to Mines.cd, highlighting a scandal involving embezzlement and corruption linked to the Cominiere SA company.
They claimed this sum was allegedly allocated by the Chinese company Zijin Mining to the NGO Le Bouclier, led by Jean-David É’ngazi, who also serves on the Board of Directors of Cominiere.
Since the revelation, there have been increasing calls, particularly online, for Antoinette N’samba Kalambayi to clarify the alleged $70 million embezzlement connected to a Cominiere administrator.
The potential for legal action looms over the situation, with public opinion questioning how a Chinese company could pay such a large sum to an NGO linked to a Cominiere administrator without the Minister of Mines being aware.
Danny Oleka, the lawyer for N’samba Kalambayi, insists that Zijin Mining merely made a “donation” to the NGO. Critics wonder why anti-corruption activists and journalists focus their inquiries solely on the former minister instead of also questioning the NGO or Cominiere.
According to Oleka, a reasonable analysis of the situation would raise important questions. He argues that even if this donation disguised questionable transactions, N’samba Kalambayi would not have been involved in the negotiations of a public mining company.
He emphasizes that state assets cannot enter partnerships without government approval, as outlined in Article 8 of Law No. 08/010 of July 7, 2008. The minister’s role is technical, primarily involving the approval of transfers after a thorough examination by the Ministry’s services.
Oleka challenges the notion of misappropriation, arguing that without evidence of wrongdoing, claims of embezzlement are unfounded and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the legal process. He sees no justification for seeking clarification from N’samba Kalambayi.
Analysts warn that N’samba Kalambayi may face a similar fate as her former colleagues, such as Nicolas Kazadi, the ex-Finance Minister, who fled amid embezzlement accusations, and François Rubota, the ex-Minister of Rural Development, who is under provisional arrest related to a separate case of overbilling.
With accusations and defenses mounting, it is now up to the legal system to investigate the matter thoroughly and bring the truth to light.
