Ministerial decree No. 041 of Feb. 16, 2026 suspended Étienne Tshimanga, director general of the Office Congolais de Contrôle (OCC), according to the text read on state broadcaster Radio Télévision Nationale Congolaise (RTNC).

According to RTNC, the decision was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade as part of a disciplinary procedure initiated for “serious management misconduct, insubordination and conduct detrimental to the interests of the public institution.”

The decree states that the disciplinary action is based on a Dec. 20, 2020 letter from the Ministry of Foreign Trade concerning alleged serious irregularities in the management of the OCC. The process continued on Jan. 20, 2026, with the transmission of a formal notice initiating disciplinary proceedings, citing practices attributed to the director general that were deemed contrary to the Office’s interests.

Financial Allegations

The decree states that the alleged conduct resulted in a significant shortfall in public finances, stemming in particular from “irregular authorizations” and “misappropriation of public funds.” It also refers to an audit inspection, some of whose findings were acknowledged by the director general.

The ministerial decision further relies on conclusions by the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF), contained in a Feb. 13, 2026 letter from the president’s chief of staff to the prime minister. According to RTNC, the IGF report documents serious breaches of financial and administrative governance within the OCC.

On Aug. 18, 2025, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya ordered the OCC director general to explain within seven days the continued application of a $10-per-ton levy on agricultural products for export, despite the levy having been officially abolished on Feb. 7, 2024.

According to ministry communications, the fee continued to be charged on certain vehicles transporting export goods, prompting complaints from professional organizations including the Association of Cocoa-Coffee Exporters of the DRC and the Federation of Enterprises of Congo, which said the levy increased costs for cocoa and coffee exporters.

Interim Leadership and Next Steps

Under Article 1 of the decree, management of the OCC during the suspension is entrusted to deputy director general Christelle Muabilu, who will serve as acting director general. The measure is taken under Decree No. 716-2023 on the status of directors general of public institutions.

The decree also allows for administrative action against the suspended director general and any other OCC staff members who may be implicated. It further provides for the creation of a restructuring commission for the Office Congolais de Contrôle, whose composition and mandate will be defined in a subsequent ministerial decree.

Boaz Kabeya