The Democratic Republic of Congo’s embattled chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, was jailed 20 years with hard labour on charges of corruption.

State prosecution having accused Kamerhe of embezzling state funds through the award of contracts by mutual agreement to fictitious companies; had demanded 20 year jail term during the last hearing.He was jailed along with another collaborator, one Samith Jammal.

The court ruled that Kamerhe was guilty in $50 million corruption and embezzlement case.

During hearings into the cases, court document cited the example of a company that received $47 million, which “disappeared” from the bank without being allocated to the construction of 3,000 prefabricated houses.

Kamerhe was held in the central prison facility in the capital Kinshasa and his case was heard usually in the open defying COVID-19 restrictions.