CONAC petitioned for alleged fraud at Customs Directorate

Candidates who passed the December 2013 competitive examination into the Customs Department have petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC, for alleged fraud in the Directorate of Customs.

According to the candidates, the Director of Customs is demanding huge sums of money from them as a precondition to effect posting.

A copy of the complaint to CONAC, dated January 2, 2015, which The Post procured through one of the successful candidates, reveals that the Directorate of Customs reeks of corrupt practices. According to Chuye, one of the students who wrote the examination, in 2013, the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms launched the competitive examination into Customs Department for the recruitment of 75 Preventive Custom Officers, Category ‘D’.

He and others sat for the examination and passed, occupying position number 23 out of the 75 as found in the Ministerial circular carrying results of successful candidates in order of merit; No 001072/MINFOPRA of March 31, 2014.

As required, all the 75 recruits were drilled during a one-week seminar at the customs head office in Yaounde, from July14-20 and, thereafter, they proceeded to Koutaba for military training where they spent 45 days. Those that succeeded (like Chuye) were awarded attestations.

But, he said, what beats his imagination is the fact when their names were “forwarded to the Directorate of Customs for postings to be effected, some candidates were posted, but 13 of us were sidelined and asked to pay the sum of FCFA 1,200,000 before our postings could be effected,” Chuye averred.

Chuye said his colleagues who refused to bribe the customs officials have been suffering in silence for too long. He pleads with CONAC to investigate the matter because; many of his peers are in the same situation.