Kinshasa, Jun 18 (AP) Congo's Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba announced his resignation on Wednesday following an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of USD 19 million, according to a statement released by the former minister.

Mutamba has been under investigation for allegedly embezzling funds intended to finance the construction of a prison in Kisangani, a city in the north of the country.

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In his statement, Mutamba, 37, claimed the legal actions against him were a plot by the Rwandan government.

“After escaping several attempts at poisoning and physical elimination, the mafia networks, including those infiltrated in the service of our enemies, succeeded in humiliating me because of my commitment,” he said.

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Earlier this year Mutamba advocated for the use of the death penalty for journalists who covered the actions of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the east, saying on the social media platform X that anyone who reports on “the activities of the Rwandan army and its M23 auxiliaries, will now suffer the full force of the law.”

Appointed in 2024, Mutamba was a presidential candidate in 2023 and has previously positioned himself as an anti corruption figure in a country whose development has been stifled by chronic corruption with its population of more than 100 million people struggling with high poverty and hunger levels despite its rich minerals. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)