Congo's former govt lost, stole $1.3 bln - report
KINSHASA, July 23 (Reuters) - An investigation showed $1.3 billion was stolen or lost in corruption and mismanagement of government agencies and state-run businesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006-2007.
Dozens of officials who worked in the post-war transitional government, headed by current President Joseph Kabila, are being investigated. Those found guilty will be asked to reimburse money and could face prison, a minister involved in the inquiry said late on Tuesday.
Congo has become a by-word for corruption as it remains mired in poverty and conflict despite its vast wealth, ranging from copper, cobalt and gold mines in the east to swathes of timber in the heart of the country and oil fields in the west.
Relative peace has returned to some parts and foreign investors are flocking to the central African giant after elections in 2006 saw the country reopen for business.
"The result of the work (the investigation) ... so far is ... the discovery that $1.3 billion was embezzled or is missing from the earnings," Godefroid Mayobo, minister for the prime minister's office, said late on Tuesday.
The government has opened disciplinary proceedings against 53 people believed to be responsible, he added, as he announced preliminary findings of two commissions looking into corruption and the recovery of state assets.
Funds disappeared from government departments dealing with customs and tax. The agencies and businesses implicated were supposed to be providing everything from electricity and water to overseeing Congo's chaotic aviation and insurance sectors.
Despite promises of a fresh start and better services during election campaigning, analysts say corruption and mismanagement are still rife under Kabila's latest government.
Kabila won the late 2006 election having ruled the country unelected for six years after the president, his father Laurent, was assassinated.
A government official said the investigation only covered the period in 2006 and 2007 when there was a transitional government that included former rebels, the civilian opposition and members of civil society.
Six neighbouring countries took part in Congo's 1998-2003 war, which was nominally over hunting down foreign rebels but descended into a battle over the nation's resources.
The international community has spent billions of dollars on peacekeeping and hundreds of millions more to hold elections and try to rebuild the shattered nation.
Last year, corruption watchdog Transparency International put Congo in the top 10 of the world's most corrupt countries. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com) (Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Alistair Thomson and Janet Lawrence)
Dozens of officials who worked in the post-war transitional government, headed by current President Joseph Kabila, are being investigated. Those found guilty will be asked to reimburse money and could face prison, a minister involved in the inquiry said late on Tuesday.
Congo has become a by-word for corruption as it remains mired in poverty and conflict despite its vast wealth, ranging from copper, cobalt and gold mines in the east to swathes of timber in the heart of the country and oil fields in the west.
Relative peace has returned to some parts and foreign investors are flocking to the central African giant after elections in 2006 saw the country reopen for business.
"The result of the work (the investigation) ... so far is ... the discovery that $1.3 billion was embezzled or is missing from the earnings," Godefroid Mayobo, minister for the prime minister's office, said late on Tuesday.
The government has opened disciplinary proceedings against 53 people believed to be responsible, he added, as he announced preliminary findings of two commissions looking into corruption and the recovery of state assets.
Funds disappeared from government departments dealing with customs and tax. The agencies and businesses implicated were supposed to be providing everything from electricity and water to overseeing Congo's chaotic aviation and insurance sectors.
Despite promises of a fresh start and better services during election campaigning, analysts say corruption and mismanagement are still rife under Kabila's latest government.
Kabila won the late 2006 election having ruled the country unelected for six years after the president, his father Laurent, was assassinated.
A government official said the investigation only covered the period in 2006 and 2007 when there was a transitional government that included former rebels, the civilian opposition and members of civil society.
Six neighbouring countries took part in Congo's 1998-2003 war, which was nominally over hunting down foreign rebels but descended into a battle over the nation's resources.
The international community has spent billions of dollars on peacekeeping and hundreds of millions more to hold elections and try to rebuild the shattered nation.
Last year, corruption watchdog Transparency International put Congo in the top 10 of the world's most corrupt countries. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com) (Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Alistair Thomson and Janet Lawrence)
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