Congo's Opposition Leader Katumbi Has Prison Sentence Overturned
- Politician now free to return to country, his laywer says
- Katumbi has been in exile for three years since conviction
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Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Moise Katumbi had his prison sentence overturned, clearing the way for his possible return to the country after three years in exile, his lawyer said.
Katumbi, the former governor of the cobalt-rich Katanga region, left Congo in May 2016, soon after splitting with the country’s ex-head of state, Joseph Kabila, and announcing his intention to seek the presidency. A month later he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to three years in prison for illegally selling a property. Katumbi, 54, has always claimed the charge was bogus and politically motivated.