British plumber gets death sentence in Congo over coup attempt

A British man has been sentenced to death after being convicted of participating in a coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 Youssouf Ezangi, a 53-year-old UK citizen of Congolese descent who worked as a plumber in London, was one of six foreign nationals handed “the harshest penalty” by a military court.

One Canadian, a Belgian and three US citizens were also among the among the 37 defendants found guilty on charges of attempted coup, terrorism and criminal association.

Six people were killed in the failed attempt to oust elected President Félix Tshisekedi, who has ruled the country of 109,000,000 people since 2019.

The botched coup’s leader, Christian Malanga, was shot dead by security forces soon after livestreaming the attack on the presidential palace on May 19.

Armed men under his commanded briefly occupied on office in the palace before the coup attempt was suppressed.

 Malanga’s 21-year-old son Marcel, one of the US citizens, claimed his father coerced him and high school friend from Utah, Tyler Thompson, 21, to participate.

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He told the court: “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders.”

 This story was echoed by other participants, and by Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, who claims her son was innocent.

 Mr Thompson said: “Christian had woken us up in the middle of the night dressed in a military uniform with a gun around his waist and said the military will arrive here shortly.

“The only thing he told me is that I must do everything as he says or else I will die.”

 Christian Malanga, a little-known used car salesman who dabbled in gold mining, considered himself president of a shadow government in exile, Ms Sawyer said.

 Mr Thompson and the younger Mr Malanga’s school football teammates claim Mr Malanga offered up to £76,000 for them to join him in a “security job” in Congo.

The DRC reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, fuelling hope that the British man and his co-defendants can appeal the open-air court’s ruling.

 Richard Bondo, lawyer for the six foreign nationals, said: “We will challenge this decision on appeal.”

 Mr Bondo also claimed the defendants had not been provided with adequate interpreters during the investigation.

 They were given five days to appeal the verdict.

 Foreign Office officials have tried to convince the DRC to drop plans to execute Mr Ezangi.

 A spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British man detained in DRC and are in contact with the local authorities.

 “We have made representations about the use of the death penalty to the DRC at the highest levels, and we will continue to do so.”

 The third American has been named as Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, a 36-year-old believed to have met Christian Malanga through a gold mining company.

British plumber gets death sentence in Congo over coup attempt

Court jails Inspector General of Police to six months

In a dramatic turn of events, Kenya’s acting Inspector-General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli, has been sentenced to six months in prison for brazenly defying court orders.

The High Court in Nairobi handed down the ruling after Masengeli repeatedly failed to provide crucial testimony regarding the disappearance of three men, allegedly abducted by police officers.

The police chief’s refusal to cooperate with the court has stirred outrage, with many questioning the lengths the authorities will go to cover up the abductions.

The three missing individuals were vocal supporters of the mass anti-government protests that rocked Kenya in June and July, leading human rights activists to accuse state agents of orchestrating a series of abductions aimed at silencing dissent.

Despite President William Ruto’s public promises to investigate the claims, Masengeli’s blatant disregard for the court’s authority has cast a shadow over the government’s stance.

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The Law Society of Kenya, which brought the lawsuit, is demanding the safe return of the missing men, who have not been seen since August.

Judge Lawrence Mugambi, frustrated by Masengeli’s repeated absences in court, had given the police boss no fewer than seven opportunities to appear and explain the whereabouts of the missing men.

With his patience exhausted, the judge issued the jail sentence but suspended it for seven days, offering Masengeli one final chance to comply or face prison.

“If he fails to present himself to the Commissioner General of Prisons, the minister of interior must take all necessary legal steps to ensure Masengeli is incarcerated,” declared Judge Mugambi.

The defiant police chief, through his legal team, is now scrambling to have the contempt ruling overturned, claiming efforts to locate the three men are still ongoing. However, with mounting pressure from activists and the public, Masengeli’s time may be running out.

The police department, led by spokesperson Resila Onyango, has remained tight-lipped on the scandal, fueling further speculation and outrage.

Court jails Inspector General of Police to six months