A former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Augustin Matata Ponyo, has been sentenced to 10 years of forced labor for corruption. Ponyo was found guilty of embezzling approximately $245 million in public funds by the Congolese Constitutional Court.
He was convicted alongside Deogratias Mutombo, the former governor of the DR Congo’s central bank, who received a five-year sentence of forced labor.
The embezzled funds included money meant for a major agricultural development project intended to tackle the country’s chronic food shortages.
Ponyo’s lawyer claims the ruling is unfair and politically motivated, arguing that the charges were fabricated.
Ponyo, who served as prime minister from 2012 to 2016 and previously as finance minister, had received praise from the International Monetary Fund for stabilizing the country’s economy during his tenure.
Both Ponyo and Mutombo have been barred from public service for five years after serving their sentences.
Forced labor is legal in the DR Congo when mandated by a court for a criminal penalty, according to the US State Department. Ponyo had campaigned against DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in the 2023 vote before dropping out and has consistently denied the charges.
