Transfers of 10 million USD from SMICO to Gecamines, Guy Robert Lukama finally interviewed by IGF inspectors
Finally, the beginning of definitive highlighting of the file on the transfers of 10 million USD from SMICO to more than twenty agents, senior executives and consultants of Gécamines, began this Friday, November 10 in Kinshasa with the hearing of the PCA of Gécamines, Guy-Robert Lukama, by IGF inspectors.
Indeed, after several days of resistance, Guy-Robert Lukama finally gave in and responded to the invitation of the IGF (General Inspectorate of Finance). He was heard from 1 p.m. until late in the night of this Friday, November 10 to elucidate the question of the millions that he made disappear from Gecamines for the benefit of individuals.
Note that it was the IGF which sounded the alert on the sharing of 10 million USD, coming from SMICO, the subsidiary of Gécamines, between 27 people from this state mining company, ignoring all the rules of good governance.
According to the letter sent by the IGF brigade chief, Muzeze Nzonzimbu, this series of transfers from SLUCO constitutes “a case of granting illicit advantages to oneself and others, constituting embezzlement”. He added in this regard that “the jurisprudence of the former Supreme Court is consistent on this subject”. Suspicions for which the inspector requires authorization from Jules Alingete Key to summon the suspects to the IGF, “in order to hear them and put the file together”. Now it’s done.
Let us recall that at the end of an angry march organized on Tuesday October 31, 2023 in Lubumbashi, in the province of Haut-Katanga, the UDPS Youth League of the Lubumbashi 2 Federation, demanded, in a statement read by its President, Tshim Tshibaka, the resignation of Mr. Guy-Robert Lukama, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gécamines and of Mr. Léon Mwine, member of the Board of Directors. These young people accuse them of embezzlement and above all of having granted themselves incredible social benefits to the detriment of Agents and executives and the company.
“We, agents of Gécamines and their dependents, demand the resignation of Léon Mwine and Guy-Robert Lukama, following the IGF report accusing them of embezzlement of Gécamines funds amounting to $10 million. On This, we ask the Head of State, Mr. Filix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, whose mandate slogan is the people first, to raise the demand of the Gécamines agents and their dependents, by bringing the latter before Justice so that the Congolese people in general and the copper eaters in particular regain their right to enjoy this business which is the product of their sweat,” declared Tshim Tshibaka.
More concretely, these young people and children of Gécamines criticize Guy-Robert Lukama Nkunzi, as chairman of the board of directors of this state company, for also granting himself monthly income of around 191,000 dollars. This, without taking into account the fact that Gécamines remains faced with multiple problems both for its recovery and for the well-being of the Agents and executives of this mining company.
Like these young people from the UDPS of Lubumbashi, several NGOs have called for a serious investigation into this matter, notably “Le Congo est pas pour la sale”, ODEP, La Coalition Tous pour la DRC and JUSTICIA ASBL .
Indeed a notoriously corrupt man at the top of a mafia spanning from the Ministry of Finance, Plan up to the Presidency… Unfortunately, a corrupt system promotes the wrong people at the top more often than not, but kudos to the Presidency’s IGF for their work, enforcing good public finance management will eventually bear its fruits and reinforce the country’s credibility.