The former Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga and three members of his cabinet including a driver, were interviewed a few hours ago by the judicial police, on the management of funds for the fight against the virus disease Ebola. According to sources familiar with the case, the former minister and his co-defendants were either to be released or to be transferred to the prosecutor’s office after 48 hours of police custody.
Some time later, the public learned that those arrested for a simple hearing continued their detention in the dungeons of the judicial police in Kinshasa. And according to their relatives, no grievances are held against Oly Ilunga and company.
Some analysts believe that since his resignation, Dr. Oly Ilunga, like his entourage, has been under continual pressure against a background of varying motives. « What began as a complaint by a ministry official, dissatisfied with being removed from the ministry’s activity monitoring unit, quickly changed without transition into a fund management case for the fight against Ebola. A management whose real grievances are still looking for, presenting all the aspects of a folder scraped without proof or consistency « , murmurs one.
A fuzzy soap opera
On Tuesday, August 28, phone calls came from everywhere, seeking to know if it was true that the former minister of health was auditioned at the level of the public prosecutor’s office at the Court of Cassation. At the end of the day, it was impossible to contain the rumor.
« The various officials and sources close to the investigation had no other information than the confirmation of the hearing of Dr. Ilunga and his peers. As for the contents of the file, a total blur. Some redirected us to the police chief of the city of Kinshasa. And for them, it was necessary to contact the spokesperson of the police. Obviously, this story was a hot potato that no one wanted to clutter, « said a close to the former minister.
Who is the complainant? What is the reproach to the former minister? At present, it is impossible to specify. And yet, in the corridors, some admit having been pressured from above. Some people, it seems, would like to settle the accounts with Oly Ilunga by making him an « example », with the ultimate goal of sending him to prison. They forget, however, that we must start by building a file. What some people would do.
A state affair
« We have learned that for weeks, high-level circles would propose to human rights activists to seize the file on the basis of reports by them established, on the management of the Ebola virus epidemic in Beni or in Goma (North Kivu). In short, it scrapes again and again, in search of an element that could serve as a basis to justify a visibly premeditated action, « said a close friend of the former minister.
The information from circles close to the case provide information on the nature of the questions, which go as far as to ask about the expenses of the order of 600 dollars (US dollars six cents). Or on the mission order signature. Yet inspectors have had the department’s accounting records for weeks.
Would it have been decided to start an investigation and go so far as to call an ex-minister without evidence? Would it have gone so far as to deprive Congolese citizens of their liberty beyond the statutory deadlines for ulterior reasons?
The investigation continues
Some indiscretions give information on the probable descent of the inspectors on the ground to continue the investigations in particular on the work of the teams. An excellent initiative that remains nonetheless, especially as we know that no investigation was ever undertaken after the CTE attacks, even after the assassination of the Cameroonian doctor.
« Finally, Ebola in the DRC is only a question of money. And besides, since the investigators seem to look, it would be interesting that an independent international investigation be conducted, especially since some donors are very enthusiastic about this idea, to the point of proposing to finance it. But you have to have the courage to initiate it. A question of money, actually. Since it seems that we only talk about this during the interrogations that extend all day long. It is played to wear. In the meantime, those of our brothers who have no other nations than the DRC are dying in Beni or Goma, far from all, even far from those responsible for the response, « surprised a close to the accused.
Some sources indicate that coordination meetings in Goma are held less and less.
The fight against corruption is one of the main objectives of President Felix Tshisekedi. And this is understandable to the extent that the country has suffered for a long time, and continues to suffer.
Olivier KAMO
