In the Democratic Republic of Congo, nearly three weeks after what authorities described as “ coup nipped in the bud “, the alleged perpetrators of this attack are on trial starting this Friday in Kinshasa. They must appear before the Kinshasa/Gombe military court for the attack on the residence of political leader Vital Kamerhe and the Palace of the Nation.
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Since the events of May 19, little information has circulated on the arrests. It is difficult to know how many people were implicated in this coup. Now it’s official, the list has 53 names. 53 defendants who are all being prosecuted for the same charges: attack, terrorism, illegal possession of weapons of war ammunition, attempted assassination, criminal conspiracy, murder and financing of terrorism.
According to our information, the accused were detained for a time by military intelligence, the former Demiap, before being transferred to the general prosecutor’s office of the armed forces which therefore decided to open this trial in a mobile court. “ Opacity of the procedure », denounced by the lawyer and human rights activist Jean-Claude Katende who hopes that the trial will allow the Congolese to know the truth.
Among the accused, we find Marcel Malanga, the son of Christian Malanga, alleged leader of the commando who died on May 19. And several nationals of foreign nationalities: Americans like Benjamin Zalman Polun and Taylor Thomson.
There is also the Belgian Jean-Jacques Wondo. This specialist in military matters had been collaborating for several months with the national intelligence agency (ANR). He is notably being prosecuted for criminal conspiracy. According to the accusation, he would have provided Christian Malanga with a means of transport, reports our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi. His family considers this to be a humiliation and calls for the intervention of the President of the Republic. Today’s hearing will be mainly devoted to the identification of the defendants.
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