In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jacky Ndala, leader of the youth union of Moïse Katumbi’s party, was sentenced late Tuesday night to two years in prison for making radical comments ahead of the proposed “consolation” law. A text that, if adopted and issued, would exclude from the presidential race, to be held in 2023, candidates whose two parents are not Congolese. For pro-Katumbi, this condemnation is seen as political repression.
as reported from Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
Jacky Ndala first was arrested on Sunday morning by the National Intelligence Agency. 24 hours later, he was made available to the prosecutor and then referred to the judgments of the Kinkole Peace Court in the suburbs of Kinshasa.
Whether in the indictment or before the judges of the Kinkole Peace Court, Jacky Ndala was confronted with images of his latest meeting in which he urges the peoples and members of his party to soon invade the seat of parliament to contest the bill on “Congolicity” was submitted in early July by Member of Parliament Nsinga Pululu from the ruling coalition.
Jacky Ndala wanted to be procedural by, for example, not acknowledging the authenticity of the video that was prosecuted.
In flagrante delicto, the prosecutor requested the crime to “call for a crime against the public authority”. He can face up to 3 years in prison. The prosecutor had demanded two and a half years. And the judges finally announced a sentence of two years.
“For us, the source of the document is in question. The provision speaks of civil disobedience to the law, is Pululus’ document a law? No. It’s a suggestion. Which law did he disobey? Asks defense attorney John Padou. It is from all this that we consider that the verdict that has been pronounced is an evil-judged manifesto. Is it forbidden to go to the People’s Palace? We will use legal means to appeal in accordance with Congolese law ”.
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When Jacky Ndala spoke before the court, he declared that he was a victim whom we want to “turn to silence everyone who is against the said law.” In a firm tone as for an oath, he declared in front of the judges: “even after this trial I will be against this law”.
The condemnation of this politician, who was a music columnist, is perceived by his relatives or even by the leaders of his party, the Ensemble pour la République, as a political repression.
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