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In 2008, we spoke of “contract of the century” when referring to the six billion dollars of Chinese loans to Congo-Kinshasa, in exchange for its ore. Today, the Congo Hold-up investigation, carried out in particular by RFI, reveals that to carry out this project, the Chinese had to pay the inner circle of former President Kabila bribes to the tune of some sixty million dollars. At the heart of this part of the investigation, there is the American NGO The Sentry, co-founded by American actor George Clooney. For senior investigator Douglas Gillison, the major US banks also have their share of responsibility. He is the guest of Christophe Boisbouvier.
RFI: Why do you say that the embezzlement of money by the company Congo Construction Compagny is the “scandal of the century”?
Douglas Gillison : Indeed, we can say that it is a slush fund that was hiding behind the contract of the century. It was in 2007-2008 that large Chinese companies signed an agreement with the Congolese government to barter infrastructure for very valuable minerals from the Congo. We talked about it as the contract of the century. But behind, indeed, there was a hidden corruption mechanism and it is referred to as the “scandal of the century” today.
And in this part of the Congo Hold-up investigation, you reveal that two large Chinese operators CREC [China Railway Engineering Corp] and Powerchina [Power Construction Corporation of China] paid bribes to former President Joseph Kabila’s inner circle, right?
Yes that’s it.
What purpose ?
After the 2011 elections, Mr. President [Joseph] Kabila had campaigned on the prospects represented by the deal of the century to get re-elected. But once re-elected, it was rather the Chinese who needed him more than the opposite. And that’s when we see the flow of bribes to ensure that the National Assembly adopts the tax exemptions necessary to keep the project alive. And also, there was indeed a hydroelectric dam which allowed the exploitation of the minerals. And it all had to be negotiated and passed
And who were the intermediaries through which the money went?
There was a slush fund called “Congo Construction Compagny”. [CCC], which has received sums of around $ 65 million over five years, the majority of which have been passed on to the president, his family, businesses owned by his relatives.
But, how did it actually get this money to the final recipient? Did it arrive in accounts at the BGFI bank or was it withdrawn in the form of cash?
We can answer this question thanks to the biggest data breach in African history. It is in fact, as you say, international transfers that have been paid into accounts in the name of companies or individuals, or withdrawn in cash by individuals linked to the president.
Have you solicited the reactions of the companies you are questioning?
Yes. And few have chosen to answer.
I am thinking in particular of the Chinese operators CREC and Powerchina, and of the Sino-Congolese operator Sicomines …
No answer. None of these three companies.
And on the Congolese side?
President [Kabila] he himself did not answer. There have been a number of responses and echoes from some individuals involved in this matter, including the current Minister for Spatial Planning in the government of President Felix Tshisekedi, Mr. Guy Loando, who has denied being aware of the actions of its business partners. He was a lawyer. According to him, he simply provided services.
Since November 19, Congo Hold Up has multiplied accusations of embezzlement against former President Kabila. What do you say to those who claim that you are doing “Kabila bashing” in view of the 2023 presidential election and that you are perhaps playing into the hands of the current regime of President Félix Tshisekedi?
First, as I told you earlier, there is a member of Félix Tshisekedi’s cabinet who appears in the report. But, secondly, we are in 2021, there is never the time to talk about things that affect power if, indeed, we will say that, two years before the elections, you play into the hands of those in power. and those who will show up. But, for me, it is a question here, not of making the police of the Congolese, but rather of putting the international bodies in front of their responsibilities, because a large majority of the bribes passed by New York, by international banks, such as Citybank and Commerce Bank, which also had due diligence duties for anti-corruption checks which have failed, in our opinion.
To the American NGO The Sentry, which was co-founded by former senior US official John Prendergast and US actor George Clooney, what you’re saying is that there is a lack of vigilance on the part of the big international investment banks …
When you can transfer millions of dollars from a large international corporation to a corporation, which is effectively a slush fund, on the strength of documents that don’t exist, without anyone asking questions, yes.
► Read also: Our Congo Hold-up dossier
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