Vital Kamerhe, a veteran politician and chief of staff to Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, claimed that he is innocent as his trial for alleged corruption resumed on Monday.
Kamerhe, dressed in a yellow-and-blue prison shirt, requested for bail and said that he was striving to clear his name and that of his children which had been tainted. His two previous requests have been dismissed.
Kamerhe, 61, has been in detention in Kinshasa’s central prison, also known as Makala, since April 8. His trial, which is being held there, is being broadcast live by the national TV channel RNTC.
“I want someone to help me understand why I am in Makala,” Kamerhe said.
Kamerhe, Lebanese businessman Samih Jammal and another official are accused of embezzling $48.8 million from funds for building 1,500 pre-fabricated homes for poor people under a programme launched by Tshisekedi after he took office in January 2019. They also allegedly siphoned off $2.13 million from a programme to build housing for police and the military in Kinshasa.
Kamerhe is separately accused of embezzling public funds along with a civil servant in charge of the import-export service in the president’s office.
Kamerhe has denied the allegations against him arguing that all public-sector contracts were “inherited” from previous governments.
Jammal, owner of the construction company Samibo, also declared his innocence of any charges pointing out that he had lived in the country for more than 50 years and was once Lebanon’s “honorary consul” before 1997.
The case against Kamerhe has been termed as one without precedent in the country and is viewed as a step-up in the fight against corruption. However, some see it as a means of settling political scores. His supporters claim it is a ploy to remove him from the 2023 presidential election.
