CDC Fuel Voucher Case: Witness, finance expert testify

Matters in the case opposing the people of Cameroon and the State of Cameroon; Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) against Oteil Mbua Gabriel and six others was called up for hearing at the Special Criminal Court (SCC) on September 14 and 15, 2015 for the examination and cross examination of prosecution witnesses.

A worker at the CDC Head Office Logistic Management (HOLM) Department, Emile Mvon, and the financial expert, Paul Ngono Essimi, told the SCC all what they know about the fuel illegally removed from CDC.

On September 14, 2015, Emile Mvon explained to the court the job description of his service which consisted of two major issues; managing the fuel voucher booklets and preparing monthly statistics and report of fuel consumption. He told the court that reports on this were prepared based on weekly reports from all CDC fuel stations. Using the report, Emile Mvon said fuel attendants can show how they managed the fuel station.

Emile also testified that the fuel voucher booklets were not well secured because four of them who worked in the HOLM Department had the responsibility to register fuel vouchers. Thus, he does not know how the said fuel vouchers got missing in the office. All the parties in the court room examined and cross-examined Emile Mvon on what he had said about the missing vouchers.

The Chartered Accountant and Financial Expert, Paul Ngono Essimi presented a report of five chapters, and four appendixes as a feedback of what he had gathered at CDC Bota and Tiko Station while he was auditing the corporation. In his investigation as an expert, he identified six irregularities. One of the irregularities was that some fuel vouchers booklets were not signed out at the HOLM Department.

Paul Essimi said normally, when fuel vouchers are issued to drivers, they have to sign it out in the fuel voucher booklet. According to the expert, the unsigned booklets were evaluated at 44,750 litres of fuel, worth FCFA 227,818,915.

All the six irregularities amounted to FCFA 790,929,843. During cross-examination which lasted over four hours, the expert gave answers to close to 50 questions from each counsel of the accused persons. The Head of the Panel of Judges, hearing the case, Mr Justice Richard Wanki adjourned the cross-examination to September 28, 2015 for the expert to present some documents which were needed in court.

According to the case file, Oteil Mbua Gabriel, Ngomba Jonathan Monika, Njiki Daniel, Lyonga Nganje William, Hali Gabila, Mkpot Roland and Babila Protus Ndibnu are accused to have at Tiko and Limbe-Bota, within the jurisdiction of the SCC during 2012 and 2013, together and in agreement as co-offenders by any means took or kept dishonestly the property of CDC to the sum of FCFA 360, 936, 854 being value of 707,872 litres of fuel illegally removed from the said corporation. This is an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 74, 96 and 184 (1), (9) of the Penal Code.