Paris, France – A French court has sentenced Congolese artist Papa
Wemba to 30 months in prison and a fine of 10,000 euros. The
Correctional Court of Bobigny, in the outskirts of Paris, found Papa
Wemba guilty of participating in an illegal immigration network.
Papa Wemba was accused of introducing hundreds of undocumented
immigrants in France, from 2000 through 2002, disguising them as
musicians or dancers of his band. He charged the immigrants 3,000 to
5,000 euros per person.
The smuggling ring was discovered in 2000 when several Congolese
nationals arrived to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, claiming to be
musicians working for Papa Wemba’s band. None of them carried musical
instruments nor luggage.
Papa Wemba will not return to prison since he already served his time in preventive custody.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
