Billions embezzled in Nsam fire claims

The National Anti-Corruption Commission, on June 27, 2016, in Yaounde, unveiled fabulous sums of money pilfered after investigations prompted by tip-offs.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has uncovered the embezzlement of the sum of FCFA 14,743,183,619 in the management of the compensation funds for Nsam fire disaster victims.

Government had disbursed the funds after 200 people died following a fuel train derailment and explosion on February 14, 1998 around the Petroleum Products Depot (SCDP) in the Nsam neighbourhood in Yaounde.

While presenting highlights of the watchdog’s 2014 Anti-Corruption Status Report on June 27, 2016, in Yaounde, NACC’s Chairman, Reverend Dr Dieudonné Massi Gams said investigations based on 3064 tip-offs in 2014 of embezzlement in some development services and projects.

The State, for example, lost FCFA 1.7 billion representing 64 per cent of the total compensation amount paid for the Memve’ele Hydroelectricity Dam project.

In a ceremony attended by several cabinet ministers and other officials of the executive, judiciary and legislative arms of the State as well as members of the diplomatic corps, political parties, media and the civil society, Rev. Dieudonné Massi Gams announced that NACC’s fourth Anti-Corruption Report prioritised the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy while focusing on the assessment of the execution of 2012 Regional Anti-Corruption Action Plans and the Rapid Results Initiatives launched in 2011.

Regarding the implementation of the Regional Anti-Corruption Plan, the North West and Centre Regions came first and second with 43.68 and 43.42 per cent execution rates respectively; well over the national execution rate of 27.3 per cent.

“27 out of 38 ministries remained apathetic in the RRI implementation in 2014, while 11 of them, eight public or semi-public enterprises and 2 development projects participated,” he regretted.

However, NACC’s reputation was seriously marred by the phenomenon of fake agents in some cities who extort money from people through influence peddling and other offences.

Thus, proposals made in the document included the creation at regional level of NACC branches in order to strengthen the staff and bring the institution closer to citizens.