Two public officials were sentenced to three years at hard labour after being convicted of embezzling public funds in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, three days after the unprecedented conviction of top presidential aide Vital Kamerhe.
Their co-defendant Modeste Makabuza, head of the local construction company SOCOC, was sentenced to one year at hard labour by the Kinshasa-Gombe high court.
On Saturday, the court followed the prosecution's recommendation by sentencing Kamerhe, President Felix Tshisekedi's chief of staff, to 20 years at hard labour, also for embezzlement - a stunning ruling for a figure who was considered untouchable in Congolese political life.
Both trials concerned public funds for Tshisekedi's so-called "100 days" programme announced after his inauguration in January 2019.
His lawyers have appealed the verdict - and said hard labour is banned under the country's constitution - while Kamerhe, 61, has said the trial was a plot to prevent him from securing the presidency in the next election in 2023.
