Corruption scandal rocks government, Minister implicated

Emmanuel Bonde, Cameroon's Minister of Industry, Mines and Technological Development has been accused by a private investor of demanding a bribe of 25% stake, or 3.75 billion FCFA to authorize the start of a sugar production plant in the eastern region of the country.

Dieudonné Thry Dong, Director of Justin Sugar Mills Cameroon SA which is an Indo-Cameroonian consortium involved in the project to create a sugar complex in the East, alleged that Minister Emmanuel Bonde unilaterally terminated a June 2014 Protocol agreement signed between the group of investors and the state, following his refusal to assign to the member of government 25% shares, or 3.75 billion FCFA.

Dieudonne Dong told local media that the Minister requested him to allocate the shares in his wife’s name otherwise the project will not be allowed so long as he and some of his fellow mates remain in government. The Director of Justin Mills Cameroon further revealed that Minister Bonde promised to share the bribe with certain members of government.

Said Mr Dong: “I rejected this proposal and instead offered him 1% token in the name of his wife with a microfinance structure MC2 Batouri As if this was not enough Minister Bonde also did require the recruitment of his wife Mrs Marthe Bonde as one of the managers of Justin Sugar Mills who only graduated from University this year".

The businessman also highlighted Minister Bonde’s participation in another financial scandal involving 562,500,000 FCFA representing a quarter of equity investments of 11 towns that paid into FEICOM account.

Minister Bonde is reported to have demanded his nephew Martin Mindjos, current Director of Industry at his ministry a commission of 80 million CFA francs to buy a Prado car.

Justin Sugar Mills SA Cameroon (JSM) has an exclusive contract with the Cameroon government dated 13 April 2012, which is spread over 10 years. The project is located in the east of the country, in Batouri- Bertoua interzone.

At the time of writing this report government has not yet responded to the allegations.