Congolese scrutinise exiled politician

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they are investigating an exiled opposition leader who has vowed to stand in December’s presidential elections.

The announcement late on Tuesday coincided with a demand by the UN Security Council that the elections, viewed as crucial for the stability of the troubled central African state, be staged with “credibility and inclusivity”.

Public Prosecutor Flory Kabange Numbune said a judicial investigation had been opened on Moise Katumbi, who allegedly held Italian nationality in breach of Congolese laws that forbid dual citizenship. Katumbi will also face trial in a case of alleged recruitment of mercenaries, including a former US soldier, to destabilise the government, he added.

Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Katanga province who is president of the major football club TP Mazembe, claims to have unrivalled popularity across the country.

On March 12, at a meeting in Johannesburg, he launched his campaign for the presidency and unveiled a new party, Together for Change.

He already faces an outstanding sentence of three years’ imprisonment over a property deal and has spent two years in exile in Belgium.

Katumbi, 53, declared he would go back to his native country by June. Congolese authorities have vowed to arrest him if he returns.

Tuesday’s announcement came after the magazine Jeune Afrique said Katumbi had held Italian nationality between 2000 and 2017, according to the civil registry of San Vito dei Normanni, southern Italy.

Olivier Kamitatu, Katumbi’s spokesman, said Katumbi was a “victim of harassment”.