(3 Minutes Read)
Lawyers for the defendants say they intend to appeal, claiming the judgment is unjustified. The trial takes place against a backdrop of increasing efforts to combat illegal mineral trafficking in the DRC. In June, authorities identified 547 companies operating illegally in the South Kivu region.
Three Chinese citizens were sentenced to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay USD 600,000 in fines for illegally exploiting mineral resources in Congo, according to court filings. The ruling marks the first -time foreign mineral brokers have been convicted for unauthorized mineral exploitation in the DRC without authorization from Congolese authorities.
The defendants were also found guilty of fraud, money laundering, and looting. It is unclear if they will remain in the eastern city of Bukavu, where they are held, or if they will be transferred elsewhere. They were arrested on Jan. 4 with 10 gold bars and USD 400,000 in cash. Lawyers for the defendants say they intend to appeal, claiming the judgment is unjustified. The trial takes place against a backdrop of increasing efforts to combat illegal mineral trafficking in the DRC. In June, authorities identified 547 companies operating illegally in the South Kivu region.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/dr-congo-plastic-waste-crisis-threatens-hydroelectric-power/
The Congolese government has said it is also working to secure better terms on a USD 6.2 billion mining contract with China, which authorities say has not been profitable enough for the Central African nation since it was signed in 2008.
