In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Constant Mutamba Tungunga, has just decided to bank all legal fees. A new approach to fight corruption and fraud in the justice sector.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is taking a new step in the fight against corruption by launching the banking of legal fees.

This measure concerns nearly 240 acts generating revenue for the state, including court fines, parole bonds, and document authentication. These funds, which are often misappropriated, will now have to be deposited directly at the bank, thus ensuring better traceability

According to a report by the Court of Auditors, a large part of these funds were misappropriated by prosecutors. “You see the price that is fixed on the rate, it's 10 dollars, we ask you 20 dollars, 30 dollars or 50 dollars. (...) These are fees that go through the pockets of individuals rather than through the public purse. ”, testifies Henri Wembolwa, according to remarks reported by RFI. The Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, strongly condemned these practices, saying that “things have to change.” He warned that anyone who continued to collect these fees illegally would be severely punished

This reform is welcomed positively by the Congolese authorities, who expect a significant increase in public revenue. However, the unions believe that this measure will only be effective if it is accompanied by an improvement in the salaries of actors in the judicial sector, who are often exposed to precariousness