DR Congo opponent Cherubin Okende death ruled suicide

Autopsy and expert reports have established that the death of a DR Congo opposition politician was a suicide, Kinshasa's prosecutor told the media on Thursday.

The body of Cherubin Okende, 61, a former transport minister, was found bullet-riddled in his car on July 13 on a road in Kinshasa after disappearing while heading to an appointment at the constitutional court. 

The autopsy shows Okende "died as a result of haemorrhaging from the wound caused by the weapon he used himself" prosecutor Edmond Isofa told press on Thursday.

A diary found in a search of Okende's private office had an entry dated three days before his death, which read: "I am at the end of my tether", said Prosecutor Firmin Mvonde Mambu, adding that this supported the suicide theory.

In response EPR spokesman for EPR Herve Diakiese told AFP he was outraged by the "denial of justice" and called on the prosecutor to "make the autopsy report public". 

The pro-democracy movement "Lucha" also said that "the conclusions of the judicial investigations... are totally scandalous and absurd". 

The former transport minister resigned under President Felix Tshisekedi as a member of lead opponent Moise Katumbi's party, Together for the Republic (EPR).

At the time, Katumbi had announced his presidential bid and withdrawn his party from the ruling coalition. 

After Okende's death, several people were arrested including his bodyguard -- who was considered as a prime suspect.

Both the Democratic Republic of Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya and the European Union condemned the death as an assassination. 

Okende's family said in early February that they were tired of waiting for the autopsy results.

To date, Okende's body has never been returned to his family for burial.