Criminals pardoned through Prisons Decongestion Parole are now causing serious problems in DR Congo
There are claims that criminals are swarming all over the Democratic Republic of Congo following their release from jail in what is being described as state-run prisons decongestion parole exercise.
In reaction to that, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Court of Cassation Attorney General Firmin Mvonde is now launching a serious crackdown operation across the country to recapture the criminals who have been released from prison unlawfully.
According to observers, many of the freed jailbirds are roaming at large without serving their full prison sentences, including those issued under serious criminal offences.
It is being reported that DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and his Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba recently purged out a number of prisoners through special parole to decongest the reformatories.
Attorney General Mvonde, who previously has had Minister Mutamba indicted for embezzling funds amounting to USD19 million, has instructed public prosecutors to investigate criminals that were released unlawfully with the instructions of Tshisekedi and Mutamba through the latter’s prison decongestion operation.
The DR Congo Minister’s prison decongestion program saw several criminals walk out free, including the former Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi, who was charged with funds embezzlement.
The jailbirds are now said to be behind the resurgence of insecurity in the already troubled African country.
The Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, Firmin Mvonde has already instructed all Attorney Generals at the Court of Appeal to launch a special manhunt for the suspected jailbirds and whisk all of them back into detention.
“The gangs of recently freed prisoners, both men and women including convicts and pre-trial detainees, who are supposed to be in various prisons across the country, and more particularly from the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Centre (CPRK) are now causing serious trouble in the country,” warned the Attorney General.
AG Firmin Mvonde therefore urged all security organs to intensify the search for the suspected outlaws and sweep them back to penitentiaries.
The Attorney General at the Court of Cassation further demanded that all heads of public prosecution provide a timely report on the cases being executed in order to have “a synoptic table of proven court matters,” to clarify the perpetrators of these escapades.