The Former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Matata Ponyo Mapon, has been sentenced to 10 years of forced labour for embezzling $245 million from a failed government farming project. The verdict was delivered by a top court, marking a major ruling in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
Ponyo, who served from 2012 to 2016 under ex-President Joseph Kabila, was convicted in absentia alongside former central bank governor Deogratias Mutombo and South African businessman Christo Grobler, both receiving five-year sentences. None of the three are currently in custody.
The case centers on a collapsed corn farming initiative launched under Kabila’s administration, which failed in 2017. Investigations began in 2021 under President Félix Tshisekedi.
Ponyo, who remains in Kinshasa, denies the charges and calls them politically motivated. Authorities believe Grobler is in South Africa and Mutombo in Belgium.
