The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Minister of Justice, Guillaume Ngefa, has revealed that among those detained at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa on technology-related charges are individuals accused of impersonating staff members of the President’s office.
Ngefa made the remarks during a press briefing chaired by the Minister of Communication and Media and government spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya.
He said numerous people had been brought before the courts or detained at Makala Prison over offences linked to social media and other forms of technology-related crime.
The justice minister did not disclose the identities of those allegedly posing as employees of the presidential office. However, he stressed that the law would apply to everyone, regardless of their position or political affiliation.
“The law must be firm and enforced equally for everyone,” he said.
Ngefa explained that prosecutors were stepping up efforts to investigate such offences, including opening cases on their own initiative after identifying activities suspected of violating the law.
He added that the Ministry of Justice would monitor the number of these cases every week to ensure that the law was enforced. Some trials have already begun in a dedicated courtroom inside Makala Prison.
According to Ngefa, the objective is not simply to punish offenders but also to build a digital environment that respects individual rights and the country’s values.
KIGALI TIMES