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Drillers in the mist | September 2014
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Soco paid Célestin Vunabandi – an MP for an area in Block 5 – every month as a “consultant”
Vunabandi told Gouby in a covertly filmed interview
in December 2013 that he did not sign a contract
as the company believed that this may not be legal
under British law. He said: “I remember when we
discussed with the Soco people at the time, we
came to the conclusion that, I believe, British law
does not allow for such a contract to be signed
with politicians… especially when it relates to the
promotion of a project”. 73
“Of course, every time I was going somewhere…
they had to compensate me and I was engaged
every month, it’s true,” he said. 74
Despite the sensitivities around his work for the
company, Vunabandi says in his LinkedIn profile
that he worked as a consultant to Soco, with the
role of “facilitation and support in implementing
the oil exploration project in [Soco’s] Block 5” for
Soco from July 2010 to August 2011. 75
In Gouby’s recording, Vunabandi tells her that
his role was to get the local population to accept
oil exploration in Virunga, using his relationships
with community leaders and local authorities.
“I have very good relations with politicians of all
communities. Soco people have certainly counted
on that asset,” he said. 76
Soco has also kept the MP sweet by employing his
brother, Damas Vunabandi, as a protocol officer. 77
Three sources from North Kivu told Global Witness
that Vunabandi was the first person to hold public
meetings about plans for oil exploration in Virunga,
and that he did not reveal that he was a consultant
for Soco. “He said that he was there [to speak
to us] because he is an MP and cared about the
population,” one of the sources told Global Witness
on condition of anonymity. It would be “serious” if
Vunabandi had been paid by Soco, the source said,
as it would mean that he was acting as “judge and
jury at the same time”.