The former DRC’s Minister of Tourism, Modero Nsimba, on Thursday, March 21, was brought before a court in Kinshasa after he was arrested last Saturday FOR posting controversial comments on social media.
In DRC, the posted voices were attributed to the former Minister of Tourism, debating over the death of the former Minister of Transport, Chérubin Okende.
According to these voices, two members of the president’s family, Christian and Jacques Tshisekedi, as well as Christian Ndaywel, the head of military intelligence, were allegedly involved in Okende’s death.
In these voices, a man is heard saying that one of President Félix Tshisekedi’s brothers had a land dispute with Chérubin Okende.
RFI reported that ”the explanation given in the audio, Tshisekedi’s brother asked the military intelligence agencies to arrest the former Minister of Transport, and that the last was masked before his death.
The arrested person is being prosecuted specifically for “spreading rumors and lies”.
Model Nsimba accepts his voice in the published audio, but does not fully accept the content. According to him, what he remembers is a conversation he had with one of his colleagues about Jeune Afrique story on the death of Chérubin Okende. He claims that he does not know how the audio was recorded and denies a charge of being the one to spread it.
Model Nsimba is being sued for “spreading false rumors” and “defamation”. His defense argued that the court had no jurisdiction to judge their client, as his mandate to be a member of the National Assembly was not confirmed.
The case continued on Friday with the prosecution explaining the crime he was charged with and his lawyers defending him. At the end of February, the investigation into the death of Chérubin Okende concluded that it was suicide, but this was denied by his family who believe that he was murdered.
Model Nsimba is being prosecuted for “spreading false rumours” and “defamation”. His defense argued that the court had no jurisdiction to judge their client, as his mandate to be a member of the National Assembly was not confirmed.
The case continued on this Friday with the prosecution explaining the charges against him while his lawyers defended him. At the end of February, the investigation into the death of Chérubin Okende concluded that it was suicide, but this was denied by his family who believe that he was murdered.
ALLY MWIZERWA
