Over the weekend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi, Rural Development Minister François Rubota, and his predecessor Guy Mikulu were prohibited from leaving Congolese territory. This directive came from the prosecutor near the Court of Cassation, who is investigating allegations of embezzlement of public funds and corruption in the awarding and execution of a lucrative contract for the construction of water wells in the country.
The Attorney General expressed concerns that these two serving ministers and the former minister might evade judicial proceedings. He asserts that they are accused of misappropriating public funds and will have to answer before the law.
Nicolas Kazadi, the current Finance Minister, was reportedly removed from a flight on Saturday evening as he was expected to join President Félix Tshisekedi’s delegation in Berlin and Paris, according to multiple airport sources. It is even reported that his diplomatic passport was confiscated.
These three figures are at the center of an alleged corruption scandal that has been making headlines in recent weeks, involving allegations of overpricing in a contract for drilling and water treatment stations in the DRC. While the contract dates back to 2021 when Guy Mikulu was Minister of Rural Development, the payment, one-quarter of the total amount, was made two years later when Nicolas Kazadi and François Rubota were Ministers of Finance and Rural Development, respectively.
The government was expected to receive over 1,300 water well stations at nearly $300,000 each. This is significantly higher than the $20,000 to $30,000 figures mentioned by civil society organizations, who accuse the deal of being overpriced.
One such organization, the Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ), goes as far as demanding the seizure of assets and bank accounts of those involved in the contract signing and payment process.