(MENAFN) Constant Mutamba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s justice minister, has stepped down from his post as allegations mount over his involvement in the misuse of public funds.

The 37-year-old minister resigned during a private audience with President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday, aiming to pave the way for justice, according to his aide, who briefed reporters shortly after the meeting.

A senior official from the President’s Office confirmed to a news agency that President Tshisekedi had accepted Mutamba’s resignation, which now awaits formal submission to the prime minister.

Mutamba, who took office in May 2024, is at the center of a criminal investigation into the alleged misappropriation of $19 million earmarked for the construction of a prison in Kisangani, a major city in the country’s northeast.

His resignation follows a series of legal developments: Congo’s Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation, Firmin Mvonde, barred Mutamba from leaving the capital, Kinshasa, and secured authorization to prosecute him after the National Assembly lifted his parliamentary immunity last Sunday.

In addition to the embezzlement charges, Mutamba is also being pursued for contempt of public institutions. He has publicly dismissed the proceedings as a “political conspiracy” targeting him.

Prosecutors further accuse him of unlawfully ordering the release of several prisoners convicted of serious crimes — including murder, torture, and armed robbery — during his time in office.

Mutamba was a candidate in the 2023 presidential election. Upon becoming justice minister, he had vowed to clean up the judiciary and fight corruption from within.

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