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| his picture taken on June 25, 2020, shows the statue of Congolese national hero Patrice Emery Lumumba in Kinshasa. – Copyright © ARSENE MPIANA/AFP |
The Congolese Ministry of Primary Education has been accused of having embezzled nearly 400,000 dollars allocated to the organization of the first African school football championship in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The DR Congo’s General Inspectorate of Finance on Saturday issued the accusations indicating that out of a million dollars allocated by the government, the ministry failed to account fully for their expenses.
The accusations range from over-quotation of transport charges and lack of accountability in other purchases like T-shirts for the participants.
In 2021, the same body accused the same ministry of education of embezzling over 16 million dollars.
President Tshisekedi had placed the fight against embezzlement of public funds and corruption as one of the priorities of his mandate which began in January 2019.
His chief of staff Vital Kamerhe was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He is currently on provisional release and receiving medical treatment in Europe.
The DRC is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2021 ranking. The majority of the population of this Central African giant lives on less than $1.90 a day.
AFP
