213 of the constitution. On March 25, 2009, he delivered a speech resigning as President of the National Assembly. On December 14, 2010, Kamerhe officially quit the PPRD, announcing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election and the creation of his new party, the UNC, which had its official inauguration in February 2011. He gained 7.74% of the country's vote in the 2011 presidential election under the UNC name. In the 2018 presidential election Kamerhe made an alliance to support Félix Tshisekedi's candidacy, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress. In exchange he became Tshisekedi's chief of staff in January 2019. On 8 April 2020, Kamerhe was arrested and detained in Makala prison on charges of corruption and embezzlement of $48 million dollars. On 20 June 2020, Kamerhe, was sentenced to twenty years of forced labor and ten years of ineligibility and inability to access public office for embezzlement, aggravated corruption and money laundering. His co-defendant, the Lebanese businessman Samih Jammal, received the same sentences and an expulsion order after the sentences are finished. A third defendant, Jeannot Muhima, was sentenced to two years of forced labor. The court also ordered the confiscation of the accounts and properties of family members of Kamerhe, as confiscation applies to all illicitly obtained things regardless of subsequent owner. However, Kamerhe was provisionally released alredy in December 2021. On 23 June 2022, Kamerhe was acquitted. He was later pictured enjoying his newfound freedom surrounded by family – his wife, his children, his mother – as well as friends and collaborators, at one of his residences in the posh neighbourhood La Gombe. Family He is the brother-in-law of Aimé Boji. References 1959 births Living people People from Bukavu Candidates for President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Presidents of the National Assembly (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Union for the Congolese Nation politicians Democratic Republic of the Congo politicians convicted of crimes