By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has signed a decree-law creating a specialized criminal court to handle economic and financial offences, including corruption, fraud, embezzlement, and currency counterfeiting.
The new court aims to strengthen the country’s judicial system in addressing widespread financial and economic crimes, which have often stalled due to a lack of expertise among magistrates in dealing with complex financial cases.
According to the decree, the tribunal will consist of a primary jurisdiction court and an appeals chamber. It is expected that at least 40 judges will be appointed across both chambers, with selection based on expertise in financial and economic law as well as demonstrated integrity.
The law mandates that the specialized court must become operational within three months of the decree’s enactment, signalling the government’s commitment to improving transparency and accountability in financial governance.
This initiative comes amid ongoing concerns over corruption and economic malfeasance in the country, where previous cases referred by financial authorities frequently encountered delays or dead ends due to inadequate judicial capacity.
The establishment of this court represents a significant step in DR Congo’s efforts to strengthen institutional oversight and ensure that perpetrators of financial crimes are held accountable.
