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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential hopeful Moise Katumbi on Monday claimed that he was poisoned as part of a government plot to assassinate him ahead of the country’s presidential vote.

In an interview with AP, Katumbi said he was roughed up in May by police who also injected him with an unknown substance outside a courthouse in Lubumbashi.

“Their plan was to kill me,” Katumbi said, “because they are scared about my popularity.”

Katumbi and other critics of President Joseph Kabila have expressed concern that the president is deliberately trying to cling on to power by delaying the elections scheduled for November.

Congo’s communications minister is reported to have dismissed claims that Katumbi was harmed by the police.