The National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared admissible for further consideration a draft law on combating corruption. The bill was presented by Minister of Justice Guillaume Ngefa and referred to the relevant parliamentary committee for detailed review.

The draft law contains 144 articles grouped into ten titles and provides for a comprehensive overhaul of the country's anti-corruption legislation.

In the area of corruption prevention, the bill proposes strengthening transparency requirements for public procurement and revising asset declaration rules. Private-sector entities would be required to establish internal mechanisms to prevent and combat corruption, while certain non-transparent accounting practices would be prohibited. These measures were also outlined when the Government approved the draft law on 26 June.

The bill also provides for expanded powers to detect and investigate corruption offences, including the use of special investigative techniques. At the same time, it proposes stronger protection for witnesses, victims, experts, and bona fide whistleblowers.

With regard to liability, the draft law envisages the introduction of new corruption offences, tougher sanctions, and the possibility of holding legal persons criminally liable.

A separate part of the bill is devoted to asset recovery. It provides for the freezing, seizure, and confiscation of assets linked to corruption offences, as well as their subsequent recovery with the involvement of a specialised body. The legislation would also include provisions on international cooperation in this area.