Koffi Olomidé gave a press conference in Brussels on 30 May. The artist met the press to talk about his career, the copyright situation in the DRC, his view of politics in the country and in Africa in general.

It was also a question of his troubles with the law. As a reminder, Koffi Olomidé was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison term for sexual abuse of a minor last March. Four of his dancers accused him of “sexual abuse with violence, coercion, threat or surprise by a person in authority” for events that took place in the Paris region between 2002 and 2006. The prosecution had asked that the singer be sentenced to seven years. French justice decided otherwise.

And it is precisely on this issue that the Congolese rumba star got out of his depth. When Fabien Kusuanika, a journalist from Télé-Tsangu, asked his question, he was cut off by Koffi Olomidé who retorted: “No, no, I won’t allow you to say that: the courts have established my innocence, I have been cleared, the best proof is that I am in front of you in Brussels.

When the journalist asked to finish his question, the artist reacted curtly: “Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice, that’s when you say that Koffi is out of his depth, don’t tell me that I consider myself, no, the justice system… There was a trial, you can’t do better. There was a trial in due form, I took lawyers (…) I don’t want this question, because I don’t consider myself as… You must know that I am innocent.

There followed a diatribe that left the audience stunned. Koffi Olomidé finally concluded that the journalist was jealous of his freedom. Fabien Kusuanika then decided to pack up his equipment and leave the press conference before the rumba star’s final words.

At the beginning of May, Koffi Olomidé gave a press conference in Paris. During this exchange with journalists, he announced that he would cover a song by his idol, Johnny Hallyday, with the permission of his widow, Laetitia. For the moment, it is not known which song he has chosen.