Salomon Kalonda Della, the special advisor to opposition leader Moise Katumbi, has denied all the false allegations slapped on him.
According to a statement of part of his testimony before the court on Tuesday, Salomon, who was represented by ten lawyers submitted that his constitutional rights to a fair trial had not been guaranteed.
According to one of the lawyers, whose remarks were corroborated by two sources of the
judicial proceedings, all the questions put to Salomon were duly answered.
Lawyers raised constitutional matters relating to the lack of evidence and the total disregard of the separation of powers and privileges accorded to a citizen in such circumstances.
The lawyers have argued that the trial does not demonstrate the respect for the rights of the defence.
Meanwhile, according to the transcript Salomon denounced the conditions of his arrest restating that he was kidnapped and detained without a judicial warrant by persons who had no authority to do so.
Salomon also denounced the illegal conditions of his detention at the DEMIAP Military location where he was held in the absence of notification of the charges from May 30 to June 5, 2023.
Salomon said the detention without formal charge and access to his lawyers within 48 hours was in contravention of article 18 of the Congolese Constitution.
He also castigated the conditions under which “searches” were carried out at his premises including at residences of his 85-year-old mother and other relatives.
