Former Prime Minister of Congo, Augustin Matata Ponyo, don get ten years plus hard labour for corruption matter.
After almost four years wey court dey waka up and down, Congo Constitutional Court find Matata, wey be 60 years old, guilty say e chop government money reach $247 million.
Matata, wey bin wan contest against Congo President Felix Tshisekedi for 2023 election before e comot, don dey deny di charges since. E talk say na politics dem dey use against am.
Apart from Matata, di court judge, Dieudonne Kamuleta, give five years hard labour to one South African businessman and Deogratias Mutombo, wey be di Central Bank governor for Congo dat time.
Dem also talk say Matata and Mutombo no go fit hold public office for five years after dem finish di hard labour. Di South African businessman go dey deport after e serve him time.
Matata lawyer, Laurent Onyemba, tell AFP say di judgement no fair at all, and e show say di case na political wahala.
Matata, wey now dey lead di opposition party wey dem dey call Leadership and Governance for Development (LGD), bin dey work for Joseph Kabila government from 2010 to 2016. First, e be finance minister before e become prime minister.
Di matter first show face for November 2020, when di IGF, wey dey check government spending, talk say $205 million don waka from di $285 million wey dem give for one agro-industrial project for Bukangalonzo, about 250 kilometres from di capital.
Di IGF talk say na Matata plan di whole thing, but Matata call di accusation 'big lie.'
Di case first enter court for October 2021, but di Constitutional Court talk say dem no get power to judge former prime ministers. Later, dem carry di case go Cour de Cassation for June 2022, wey get power over parliament members. Di court later send di case back to di Constitutional Court.
For di 2023 presidential election, Matata comot for di race to support Moise Katumbi, wey be former provincial governor, to try remove Tshisekedi. E accuse di government say dem dey plan 'big election mago-mago.'
Tshisekedi don promise say e go fight corruption for him government, and some of Kabila people don already face judgement under him administration.
