3 ministers grilled over corruption

Elements of the special unit of the Judicial Police attached to the Special Criminal Court, SCC, have interrogated three Ministers over alleged fraud and embezzlement of public funds.

They are: the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, the Minister of Energy and Water, Basile Atangana Kouna and the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Minette Libom LiLikeng.

According to sources at the court, the three Ministers were recently grilled for over five hours at the cabinet of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso.

The Post learnt that the grilling borders on public funds that the Ministers are alleged to have embezzled before they were appointed into government a few years ago.

Atangana Kouna’s grilling was predicated on funds that he is accused of mismanaging when he was the Interim General Manager of the defunct National Water Corporation, SNEC, and the General Manager of CAMWATER.

It is not clear how much the Minster is accused of having embezzled. The Post learnt that the former General Manger of CAMWATER, William Solo, who was sacked recently, is the one who exposed the Minister’s financial rackets.

He was reportedly told to come back to the Police last Thursday with documents to defend himself. The Post learnt that Minette Libom LiLikeng’s case dates back to when she served as Director of Customs until December last year.

She would have to explain to the judicial authorities where and how one of his sons got the FCFA one billion that is lodged in his account.

The Minister will also need to answer questions on the mismanagement of funds allocated for the building of software at the Customs Department.

Andre Mama Fouda’s case file has to do with his tenure as General Manager of MAETUR, many years back. After their grilling last Monday, it is up to the Examining Magistrate at the SCC to determine whether there are enough elements to indict the Ministers or not.

The Ministers are being interrogated at the time when talk is rife that many government officials will be arrested on charges of corruption. The Post learnt that government is planning to do a clean sweep of all the officials who embezzled public funds and acquired fake land certificates during the construction of the Kribi Deep Seaport in the South Region.

Many cells at the Gendarmerie Headquarters and the Yaoundé Central Prison at the Kondengui neighbourhood are said to have been refurnished to receive new “tenants” soon.