KINSHASA — An internal government audit has uncovered nearly 63,000 questionable personnel records within the Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Police, in a scandal that could be costing the state up to $233 million annually in salaries paid to “ghost” officers who do not physically exist.
The preliminary findings, leaked Tuesday, have intensified calls for sweeping reforms of the country’s police payroll and personnel management systems as authorities seek to strengthen public financial governance.
According to the audit, about 63,817 police records representing 40.4% of the 157,886 officers officially registered in the police database — require urgent physical verification. Investigators identified suspected ghost workers, inactive personnel, deceased officers, retirees, deserters, and duplicate records caused by poor administrative record-keeping, all of whom continue to draw salaries from the state.
The financial impact is staggering. The audit estimates annual losses between $100 million and $233 million equivalent to monthly losses of $8.3 million to $19.4 million. If left unaddressed over five years, the cumulative cost could exceed $1.16 billion, according to the report.
The United Nations estimates the Congolese National Police (PNC) may have between 100,000 and 150,000 officers, meaning the number of questionable personnel files represents a significant share of the entire force.
The audit’s findings were presented at the 94th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 10 in Kinshasa, chaired by President Félix Tshisekedi. The government has emphasized that the classification of a file as “priority” does not yet confirm the officer is fictitious physical verification will be required before any decisions are made.
Biometric Reform Underway
In response to the scandal, authorities have launched a nationwide biometric identification program for police personnel. On July 9, Vice-Prime Minister of Interior Jacquemain Shabani announced the operational phase of the biometric enrollment of the PNC.
The operation, entrusted to the company Africa Business Agency (ABA) in collaboration with police structures, will begin in Kinshasa as a pilot province before being progressively extended to all 26 provinces. The six-month operation aims to register nearly 157,000 police officers using a biometric system integrating ten fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans.
Authorities say biometric identification would not only reduce payroll fraud but also improve the accuracy of personnel data, strengthen recruitment planning, and enhance budget management. Each officer will ultimately receive a unique administrative and biometric identity with a verified assignment and secure administrative history.
“The absence of rigorous control over personnel and a reliable biometric database means no structural reform can be undertaken,” Shabani declared, presenting identification as “the sine qua non condition of any effective human resources management policy”.
However, the government has acknowledged that the full financing of this national operation remains to be finalized.
A Systemic Problem
The police scandal is merely the visible part of a broader malaise. An inspection by the Inspectorate General of Finance estimates that the Treasury pays more than $65 million per month to fictitious state agents across all ministries, with another audit identifying over 133,000 ghost civil servants and 43,000 duplicates.
This reform builds on a similar effort in the education sector in 2025, which reportedly saved 11 billion Congolese francs in Kinshasa alone through the elimination of duplicates and ghost employees.
The revelations have also raised security concerns. Civil society organizations note that the country already has approximately one police officer for more than 700 inhabitants a ratio deemed insufficient. The reduction in effective operational strength resulting from the audit could worsen this security gap. The government has planned the recruitment of 90,000 new police officers over five years as part of a $2.55 billion police modernization program through 2030.
The findings, if confirmed, would rank among the largest payroll irregularities uncovered in the country’s security sector, highlighting the potential for significant savings that could be redirected toward policing and other national development priorities.
