The first session of the case pitting the State of Cameroon (Ministry of Finance and the Douala Port) against Nana Isaïe took place at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde yesterday August 28, 2013. The session before a panel of judges led by Mrs Virginie Eloundou began by the verification of the State and defence counsels. Nana Isaïe is accused of attempted embezzlement of State funds.
Yesterday, the seat allocated in the courtroom for the defence counsel, was empty as it was alleged that the accused, Nana Isaïe, is on the run. However, his lawyer's absence did not stop the session from continuing. After presentation of identification papers by civil claimants, Barristers Joseph Bianda Nyaabia and Dominique Fousse, Mrs Justice Virginie Eloundou asked for the presentation of a visa from the Ministry of Justice and list of witnesses which were not available. Mrs. Justice Virginie Eloundou adjourned the case to September 12, 2013 pending presentation of a visa from the Ministry of Justice and the list of witnesses by the civil claimants.
Nana Isaïe is a businessman and contractor who is alleged to have never made any supplies in the Douala Port. According to Barrister Joseph Nyaabia, Nana Isaïe was a contractor with the former National Ports Authority (ONPC) Douala when the late Tchouta Moussa was the General Manager of ONPC. Before Tchouta Moussa was replaced, he signed a protocol agreement signed between ONPC and the SFIC company headed by Nana Isaïe. According to the agreement, the ONPC had accepted to pay debts owed to SFIC worth FCFA 1,9 billion. The money was to be paid in installments. When the ONPC became the Douala Port, the new management sought to know why such an amount of money should be paid to SFIC. After inquiry, it was discovered that copies of the paid installments of the said amount were nowhere to be found or did not exist anywhere in the Ports Authority and were thus suspended. During that time, Nana Isaïe wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance complaining that the State owed his company FCFA 1,9 billion as well as damages, making a total of over FCFA 4 billion.
Meanwhile, the Doula Court of First Instance had confiscated payments to SFIC on May 18, 2000. In spite of the court's decision, Nana Isaïe continued with his deeds. Each time a new general manager came to the Douala Port, Isaïe wrote letters asking for his payments.
Due to the numerous letters he wrote to the Ministry of Finance, it was then noticed by the authorities of the Ministry of Finance that Nana Isaïe was attempting to embezzle State funds. Taking hold of the matter, the Special Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Nana Isaïe on September 17, 2012.
