A top aide to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi is set to go on trial for corruption, in an important case that has rocked the country’s political establishment. Vital Kamerhe, Tshisekedi’s chief of staff, is accused of embezzling funds for a government infrastructure programme. He has been in custody since April 8 and will go on trial on Monday with two other defendants, a Lebanese businessman and another presidential official. The 61-year-old, who made a pact to back Tshisekedi in a 2018 election on the expectation of succeeding him in 2023, denies any wrongdoing. “Never in Congo’s political history over the past two decades has such an important player on the political scene been put behind bars,” New York University’s Congo Research Group (CRG) said in an analysis.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA