The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba, has been barred from leaving Kinshasa following a parliamentary vote that lifted his immunity and authorised his prosecution for alleged embezzlement of $19 million intended for the construction of Kisangani Prison in Tshopo Province.
The travel ban was formally imposed by Prosecutor General Firmin Mvonde in a letter dated Monday, June 16, 2025, addressed to the Directorate General of Migration, citing Article 83 of Organic Law No. 13/010 relating to procedures before the Court of Cassation.
"I hereby inform you that… I have decided to prohibit the above-mentioned Mutamba from leaving the City of Kinshasa," Mvonde wrote, referencing a resolution passed by the National Assembly on June 15.
The decision came just hours after 322 out of 363 Members of Parliament voted to strip Mutamba of his immunity, with only 29 voting against and 12 abstaining.
The vote followed the findings of a special commission that investigated the misappropriation of funds allocated for a prison project in Tshopo Province.
During his appearance before the commission, Mutamba admitted that the funds had been redirected to a fictitious company and publicly apologised.
However, he maintained that he was the victim of a political vendetta, blaming senior officials, including Mvonde, for orchestrating what he called a revenge campaign.
Mutamba, 37, rose to prominence as a bold critic of corruption and was appointed justice minister in May 2024.
But recent social media posts have been awash with expose of his alleged wealth, with many Congolese questioning how the youthful minister could have amassed so much wealth in such a short time since becoming a minister.
The answer to their queries appears to have dropped hot and cold as Mutamba now stands accused of authorizing a no-bid $29 million contract with Zion Construction, with $19 million transferred just one day after the company opened its bank account.
The money was not drawn from the state treasury, but from FRIVAO, a war reparations agency under Mutamba’s authority.
In his defense, the minister cited ongoing tensions with Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and reiterated claims that Mvonde himself should be investigated, pointing to the alleged purchase of a €900,000 home by the prosecutor in Belgium.
Despite his protestations, legal proceedings are now expected to begin at the Court of Cassation. Under the Congolese constitution, Mutamba is widely expected to resign in the wake of the vote.
Once hailed as a rising star of reform, Mutamba now faces the prospect of trial and political downfall as the government moves swiftly to clamp down on high-level graft.