The Congolese Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Constant Mutamba, announced his resignation on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, to the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. This decision comes just 48 hours after the National Assembly lifted his immunity, authorizing legal proceedings against him.
According to sources cited by Jeune Afrique, the resignation was accepted by the head of state, following a discussion that lasted nearly an hour. A formal confirmation letter is expected to be sent to the president’s office and that of the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, on Wednesday.
The now former Minister of Justice, appointed in May 2024, is suspected of embezzlement of public funds in the construction project of a modern penitentiary center in Kisangani, a project funded to the tune of 39 million US dollars.
The case took on a new dimension after the indictment issued by the Attorney General near the Court of Cassation, transmitted to the office of the National Assembly, which voted in favor of initiating legal proceedings against Constant Mutamba.
However, in an official statement released on June 10, 2025, the Ministry of Justice denied any wrongdoing on the part of its minister. It was specified that “the 39 million USD allocated to the Kisangani project are still blocked by the National Financial Intelligence Unit (CENAREF)”, and have not been disbursed or executed. Constant Mutamba has always maintained that no embezzlement can be attributed to him at this stage.
The resignation of Constant Mutamba paves the way for potential legal proceedings, while highlighting the persistent tensions between the executive power and the oversight institutions in a country where the fight against corruption remains a major challenge. It could also lead to technical reshuffling within the Suminwa government, in a context where the management of the state’s priority projects is closely scrutinized, both nationally and internationally.
