Former DR Congo PM sentenced to hard labour on corruption charge

A former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Augustin Matata Ponyo, has been sentenced to ten years of forced labour for corruption, having been found guilty of embezzling approximately $245 million in public funds. Matata, who served from 2012 to 2016, along with former central bank governor Deogratias Mutombo, was convicted in a case linked to the theft from the Bukanga-Lonzo Agro-Industrial Park, a major agricultural initiative aimed at addressing food shortages in the country. Both men have been barred from public service for five years following their sentences.

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