An American financial services company has filed a lawsuit in the United States against the Democratic Republic of Congo and several high-ranking officials, accusing them of attempting to solicit bribes, according to court documents reviewed by AFP on Wednesday.
Idaho-based PayServices said it was approached in late 2023 to form a joint venture aimed at reviving the country’s public bank and digitizing and modernizing the Congolese economy. The company claims it accepted the proposal and invested more than $72 million in technology and services under a contract that required the Congolese state to pay $20 million within two weeks.
According to the lawsuit, a group of senior Congolese officials—allegedly acting without the knowledge of President Félix Tshisekedi—later demanded bribes from PayServices. Those named include the ministers of public enterprises and finance, as well as the governor of the central bank. The complaint also references close associates of the president, including his chief of staff.
PayServices alleges that after it refused to comply with the demands, the officials involved conspired to undermine the agreement, breach the contract, and ultimately terminate the project. The company is seeking $20 million in damages, in addition to reimbursement of its investment.
The Congolese Ministry of Public Enterprises has rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and lacking any legal, budgetary, or accounting foundation. The ministry accused PayServices of misrepresenting itself as a bank despite not having the legal status of a licensed banking institution.
“As a result, the authorities have decided to halt all administrative follow-up of this case in order to safeguard the public treasury,” the ministry said in a statement.
In its court filing, PayServices also claims it secured a direct meeting with President Tshisekedi in May, during which he allegedly expressed shock upon learning of the obstacles facing the project.
