The High Military Court has delivered its verdict in the appeal trial of the assassination of human rights defenders Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana. Police Colonel Kenga Kenga receives the death penalty and one of his collaborators, Deputy Commissioner Jacques Mugabo, twelve years in prison. Major Paul Mwilambwe Londa was acquitted.
With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Kamanda wa Kamanda Muzembe
Colonel Christian Kenga Kenga did not attend a single hearing except that of identification. The High Military Court found this commander of the Simba battalion guilty of the assassination of Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana. It was he who had coordinated the operation this evening of June 1, 2010. He is facing the death penalty, which is however no longer applied in the country.
Deputy Commissioner Jacques Migabo was one of his collaborators. He is one of those who confessed to having strangled the two human rights defenders. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison with two years of security. The High Court recognized the mitigating circumstances for him to have cooperated with justice.
Finally, Major Paul Mwilambwe Londa, in charge of the security of the installations of the General Inspectorate of the National Police, had testified in great detail on the course of the double crime observed from his workstation. He even risked his life when he appeared before military justice. Deported to Lubumbashi, he has since left the country to seek shelter. Paul Mwilambwe was thus acquitted by the High Military Court. ” Throughout the investigation, it was clear that our client was innocent and that he had moreover been the victims of a double kidnapping, which meant that he was unable to present his case before the military justice », Underlines Me Juvénal Kivuruga Lingani, one of Mwilambwe’s lawyers.
The John Numbi File
On the civil party side, the lawyers are preparing for other battles. For them, there are aspects of the Chebeya affair that have not been examined. “ I would like to recall Colonel Mukalay’s file. The prosecutor’s office has not yet initiated proceedings against him in relation to the prevention of illegal possession of weapons. There is also the letter by which we seized the Head of State for the dismissal of General John Numbi but also Daniel Mukalay “, remember Mr. Peter Ngomo.
According to sources close to the High Military Court, the file concerning the deserter general John Numbisuspected of being the sponsor of the assassination of Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana, is already in the hands of the judges.
Rostin Manketa, the president of the Voice of the voiceless, the NGO chaired by Norbert Chebeya when he was assassinated, says to himself ” partially satisfied of the verdict.
General John Numbi, whom we have always considered the number 1 suspect, is not there, so he will have to be able to appear and all the other personalities that we want to see transformed into defendants so that all answer for their actions.