The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba, has stepped down just hours after parliament voted overwhelmingly to strip him of immunity and authorize his prosecution over the alleged embezzlement of $19 million in public funds. President Félix Tshisekedi accepted the resignation immediately, closing the curtain on the dramatic downfall of one of his administration’s most visible reformists.
The scandal centers on funds earmarked for the renovation of Kisangani Central Prison in Tshopo Province. Prosecutors accuse Mutamba of siphoning 86% of the project’s budget through shell companies and falsified reports—an act described by one senior judicial official as “a betrayal of public trust at the highest level.”
On Sunday evening, lawmakers voted 322–29—with 12 abstentions—to lift Mutamba’s parliamentary immunity, signaling swift political consensus in the face of mounting evidence. A day later, Prosecutor General Firmin Mvonde issued a travel ban against the embattled minister, citing flight risk concerns and notifying immigration authorities to block his exit from Kinshasa.
By Tuesday morning, under pressure from constitutional obligations and public scrutiny, Mutamba formally resigned. His departure marks the most significant cabinet shake-up since Prime Minister Judith Suminwa took office and thrusts her new government into its first major corruption crisis.
President Tshisekedi appointed Deputy Justice Minister Henriette Liyolo as interim head of the ministry. A special tribunal is slated to begin hearings by July 1, while the Finance Ministry has launched sweeping audits of infrastructure contracts under the Justice Department.
While the Justice Ministry declined to comment, a spokesperson for the presidency confirmed that President Tshisekedi will address the nation Wednesday evening, outlining his administration’s next steps in the wake of a scandal that has rattled his flagship judicial reform agenda.
