By AEM
Africa’s biggest data leak shows that the companies owned by family and friends of former President Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Joseph Kabila had millions of dollars of public funds funnelled through their bank accounts.
The cash was wired to the companies’ accounts held at the Congolese arm of the BGFI bank.
Later on, millions of dollars in cash was withdrawn from the accounts. During this time, Kabila was head of state.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the ex- president has declined to respond to any questions on the transfers.
The leak included over three million documents and information on millions of transactions from the BGFI (Banque Gabonaise et Française Internationale) bank, which works in several African countries and France.
The information was obtained by the online French investigative journal Mediapart and the NGO Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF).
According to BBC Africa Eye, the probe raises questions about who benefitted from the money transfers and possible conflicts of interests.
MEGA WITHDRAWALS
Francis Selemani, Joseph Kabila’s foster-brother was the managing director of BGFI’s DR Congo subsidiary, BGFI Banque RDC, between 2012 to 2018 .
At the same time, Kabila’s sister, Gloria Mteyu, owned some 40 per cent of BGFI’s DR Congo operation, which was established in 2010.
Sud Oil, a privately owned company, was shown to have received nearly $86m in public funds between November 2013 and August 2017.
The funds are inclusive of about $46m from the DR Congo banking regulator, BCC, $15m from the state mining company Gécamines, and $1.3m from the nation’s electoral body, Ceni.
The only information found by the BBC in line with the payments was an invoice for just over $1m from Ceni to Sud Oil for petroleum products.
The BBC says it found no evidence that Sud Oil was trading in petroleum products during that period.
Selemani’s wife, Aneth Lutale is reported to have owned 80 per cent of Sud Oil while Mrs Mteyu owned the remaining 20 per cent from 2013 to 2018.
Dollars, in millions, were wired to other private firms’ BGFI accounts from Sud Oil’s BGFI accounts.
Part of the companies were owned by relatives or business associates of Kabila, who was head of state between 2001-2019.
Among the companies were Kwanza Capital, which was majorly owned by Congolese businessman Pascal Kinduelo, while Sud Oil took a minority stake. Kinduelo was the chair of BGFI Bank RDC at the time.
Previously, Kinduelo also owned Sud Oil, before changing ownership.
The probe revealed that the bank had permitted numerous high-value cash withdrawals from Sud Oil accounts, including one for $6 million.
In line with the law, only a maximum of $10,000 can be withdrawn in cash per day. This limit is however breached for specific, documented purposes, including a national emergency or for defence reasons.
BBC Africa Eye also revealed that it found no evidence in the leak that correct procedures were followed in these instances.
The cash withdrawals from Sud Oil accounts totalled at least $50 million covering a four-year period. Immediately the cash was withdrawn, it is believed to have become untraceable.
