Embezzlement: Justice minister hints of fresh arrests

The Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso has hinted that more corrupt government officials would soon be arrested. Esso made the disclosure in Yaounde last Friday while installing the new attorney general of the Special Criminal Court, SCC, Ngounou Tchokonthieu.

“You are charged with government action, and as you know, government action is not personal. It does not target individuals but aims simply at redressing infractions and restoring to the public what it has been robbed of” he told the new SCC boss.

The justice minister urged Tchokonthieu to walk in the footprints of her predecessor, Emile Zeraphin Nsoga who in three years oversaw the imprisonment of 146 embezzlers of public funds. He pointed out that the SCC should be used as a platform to put some sense into the heads of government officials who deliberately misinterpret Article 2 of their appointment decrees.

The article 2 states that “the concerned is entitled to benefits of all nature, as per existing regulations”. Esso gave to understanding that government officials use the article to manage finances at their disposal carelessly.

He repeatedly pointed out to Tchokonthieu that her mission, according to the decree creating the SCC, is to sanction anyone who is found guilty of stealing from government coffers.

He outlined the successes of the SCC but pointed out to the new attorney general, Tchokonthieu and the president of the court, Yab Abdou that perhaps the court has not lived up to the expectations of the public.

He revealed that besides the 146 officials who have been jailed and fined after trial in open court, 223 others had equally been declared guilty in the chambers of the court’s examining judge.

Laurent Esso, age 73 is currently the oldest member of government. He stated that some 41 embezzlement suits had been thrown out after the accused persons refunded money stolen from government. The total amount refunded by these corrupt officials stands at about 3.14billion FCFA, the minister said. He also disclosed that the court has also charged accused embezzlers to pay circa 30billion FCFA in damages and indemnities to the state.

The minister, however, stated that some 40 baseless cases have so far been thrown out at the level of the judge’s chambers while the court for its part has acquitted 78 accused persons. He disclosed that the special judicial police unit of the SCC has so far carried out investigations on 129 embezzlement allegations involving state officials over the past three years.

While admitting that the judicial system is slow, Esso emphasised that the slowness is caused by some shortcomings in the law and warned that magistrates should never violate the law in order to hasten courts proceedings. “The law is the law…We must respect the current law until it is modified”. He however acknowledged the fact that complaints about Cameroon’s judicial system are neither totally unfounded nor exaggerated.

He cautioned Tchokonthieu who has a 30-year professional experience in magistracy to carry out her duties without fear, favour or vengeful feelings.