A former health minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been sentenced to five years of forced labour for stealing more than $400,000 (£350,000) from funds intended to fight the Ebola epidemic.

Oly Ilunga and his financial advisor were convicted of forging tens of thousands of dollars worth of receipts from a fake company which were used to justify purchases of products already paid for by international donors.

They also diverted money meant to pay for the transportation of life-saving items to Ebola hotspots.

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Both deny wrongdoing.

More than 2,200 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak began in 2018. No new cases have been recorded in more than a month.

BBC