A court found a former leader guilty of stealing money from a farm project. Matata Ponyo Mapon ran the government from 2012 to 2016. He took $245 million from a farming plan that failed. The court gave him 10 years of hard labor as punishment. His lawyer says the case targets him for political reasons.
Two other men face punishment for the same crime. Deogratias Mutombo used to run the country's main bank. Christo Grobler is a businessman from South Africa. Each man must do five years of hard work. None of the three men appeared at their trial or sat behind bars immediately.
The stolen money was meant to build a huge corn farm outside the capital city. Under the old president, leaders planned 22 giant farms across the country. The corn farm started making food but stopped working after three years. The South African company that ran it left because the government never paid them.
The new president ordered people to look at crimes from the past government. Felix Tshisekedi took power after Joseph Kabila stepped down. Kabila ruled for almost 20 years before leaving office. He has lived mostly outside the country since late 2023.
Two other men face punishment for the same crime. Deogratias Mutombo used to run the country's main bank. Christo Grobler is a businessman from South Africa. Each man must do five years of hard work. None of the three men appeared at their trial or sat behind bars immediately.
The stolen money was meant to build a huge corn farm outside the capital city. Under the old president, leaders planned 22 giant farms across the country. The corn farm started making food but stopped working after three years. The South African company that ran it left because the government never paid them.
The new president ordered people to look at crimes from the past government. Felix Tshisekedi took power after Joseph Kabila stepped down. Kabila ruled for almost 20 years before leaving office. He has lived mostly outside the country since late 2023.
