Military High Court Hears Nullity Pleas in Tshiwewe-Numbi Case

Kinshasa, DRC, August 7, 2026 - The Haute Cour militaire convened on August 6 to continue hearing the defence mémoires in the high-profile case involving the Auditor-General of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) against several senior military officials, including Generals John Numbi and Christian Tshiwewe, along with seven other officers and Pascal Nyembo, the former Director General of the Centre d’expertise, d’évaluation et de certification (CEEC), who remains at large. The prosecution has leveled serious charges against the defendants, including conspiracy, treason, apology of terrorism, dissemination of false rumors, violations of orders, desertion abroad, illegal arms trade, and incitement of soldiers.

During the proceedings, the defence team for Major General Maurice Nyembo Kufi and Brigadier General John Chinyabuuma Kamukinde presented arguments seeking the nullity of the investigation acts. They challenged the competence of the National Security Council regarding the judicial inquiry, questioning the regularity of the hearing process, the conditions of custody, and the limits imposed on access to legal counsel and family contact. The defence further alleged that there was a usurpation of competence by the Commission Nationale de Contrôle (CNC) and the Office du Procureur Judiciaire (OPJ) and requested the conditional release of their clients.

Presiding over the hearing was Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalay, while Attorney General Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia sought a default judgment against the absentees under Articles 326 and 327 of the Military Judicial Code. The court is set to deliberate on the defence's motions, with the next hearing for the defence mémoires scheduled for August 13, 2026.