KINSHASA (Reuters) – Prosecutors asked a high court in the Democratic Republic of Congo to sentence Vital Kamerhe, the president’s chief of staff, to 20 years in prison for his alleged role in the embezzlement of more than $50 million of public funds.
The case has gripped the nation with Kamerhe, a top power-broker in Congolese politics for decades, appearing in court dressed in prison fatigues for a trial broadcast live on state television.
Kamerhe, who made a pact to back President Felix Tshisekedi in a 2018 election in the expectation of succeeding him, has denied all accusations of wrongdoing in the government’s flagship building project, known as the 100-days programme.
Prosecutor Kisula Betika Yeye Adler asked the judge to sentence Kamerhe to a maximum of 20 years for embezzlement and other corruption charges.
Adler also requested Kamerhe be barred from holding public office for 10 years after completing his sentence, a move that would scupper his political ambitions and likely further destabilise the ruling coalition.
Kamerhe has become the most powerful politician to face graft charges in Congo. His supporters say the case is politically motivated, aimed at blocking his chances of challenging Tshisekedi at the next election in 2023.
The date of the verdict is not yet known.
(Reporting by Stanis Bujakera; writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Toby Chopra)
