Congolese MP Franck Diongo Convicted of Kidnapping


As previously stated, the trial of National Deputy Franck Diongo was held yesterday, Wednesday, 28 December 2016. The proceedings were held in the hall of the Supreme Court of Justice, designated as the Marcel Lihau Hall. For this latest hearing, the National President of the MLP arrived by ambulance with the assistance of an infusion. In this manner, he appeared before the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice acting as the Court of Cessation. He was found guilty of illegally detaining three soldiers during a protest last week in the capital, Kinshasa.

Franck DiongoThe audience that assembled on Wednesday was notable for its distinctive characteristics. The atmosphere was one of chaos, with chants emanating from all corners of the capital, which had congregated at the Supreme Court of Justice. For some, it was necessary to “liberate the bearer from the expectations of the population,” while for others, it was to exert pressure to obtain the release of the “Minister” of the defence of the interests of the population. Upon the arrival of Franck Diongo, the crowd exhibited jubilant behaviour, seemingly unaware of the recent reports on social media that he had been killed. Due to the unruly crowd that had gathered outside the courtroom, attempting to see the elected representative of Kinshasa, the medical ambulance was unable to enter through the usual entrance. Instead, it entered via the entrance used by the judges. The venue was filled to capacity, both inside and outside the courtroom. In response, the Congolese National Police were compelled to take action. The crowd was subsequently dispersed, with no individuals remaining in the entourage.

Subsequently, the trial commenced a few minutes after the accused entered the room. As had been the case in previous hearings, the counsel for the respondent once again raised a number of exceptions that they considered to be significant. These included the functioning of the Court of Cessation with regard to the irreconcilability of the judgments and the question pertaining to the immunities of a deputy in office.

In order to address these exceptions, the members of the Court withdrew to rule on the case in camera. It is pertinent to recall that the National President of the MLP is facing prosecution for the purported illegal detention of three members of the Republican Guard. Initially, the Public Prosecution sought a sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for the elected representative. The defence lawyers withdrew from the proceedings, visibly disgruntled and enraged. Subsequently, the court was unable to deliver a verdict. Diongo Franck has now been sentenced to a period of incarceration of five years.

Franck Diongo’s willingness to defend even those who have condemned him indicates that he has forgiven all those who have harmed him, according to Congolese opinion. This exemplifies the remarkable capacity for strategic thinking that this politician has demonstrated. Furthermore, he is confident that even in his absence, others will continue his struggle. He stated that the incident had been meticulously planned in advance. He stated that the objective was to silence an opponent. “I had previously denounced the situation and was therefore unable to flee. A liberator does not retreat in the face of incarceration, mortality, or intimidation. It was a decision I made. I persevere in my efforts. It is a disgraceful process. I declined to appear before them on the grounds that they lacked the requisite qualifications to judge me. It is a hypothetical situation in which they have been summoned with the intention of causing me harm. I was aware that I would be condemned, yet I did not flee or attempt to evade the situation. On the 19th, I had already made it clear that they were going to kill me or that we were going to fabricate a false flag incident. You are aware of this. I had no intention of hiding, as doing so would have been a dereliction of my duty to the Congolese people and an act of shame. Alternatively, I would have had to renounce my commitment to the struggle. This is why I chose to resist. “I offer you one opportunity for triumph,” he said.

He considers his life to be of little consequence; his primary concern is the well-being of the people. “My own life is of no consequence; it is the lives of the Congolese people that matter. Those who have condemned me, including the magistrate and the police officers who have committed crimes against me, will be defended by me. The Congolese people will always be defended by me. Those of you who remained outside must not betray the Congo. “I will never betray the Congo,” he asserted.

Joram Jojo