Iya Mohammed pleads not guilty for embezzlement

The former Director of the Development Corporation of cotton, accused of 11 billion CFA francs embezzlement claimed his innocence on Tuesday during a hearing at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde.

This first hearing devoted mainly to the identification of the accused and the notification of charges which lasted about 40 minutes and was postponed to September 10. At the hearing of August 26, 2014, the accused pleaded not guilty.

Five counts are held against the former CEO of the Sodecoton. He is personally accused of the collection of compensation without any legal basis, the undue collection of wage benefits, the payment of an inconsistent delivery, and also the illegal funding of a sports association in this case coton sport Garoua for which he was honorary president.

The harm caused by Iya Mohammed to the parastatal company according to clerk Me Bayoi is estimated at more than 11 billion CFA francs between 2005 and 2009.

Lucien Fotso, one of the co-accused of Iya and former accountant at Sodecoton with whom he is placed under the mandate of pre-trial detention in Kondengui central prison since June 2013 is accused of embezzlement over 6 billion CFA francs.

Diversion of over 4 billion CFA francs is attributed to Pierre Kaptene, president of the follow-up Committee of the Sodecoton sports complex, while Mahamat Karagama Director of sales to the Sodecoton is being sued for embezzlement of over 6 billion CFA francs.

Only these last four accused of embezzlement in complicity are presented to the tribunal. Jérôme Minlend andClavier Henri appearing in freedom did not come to the hearing, they were represented by their respective Councils.

The most representative case is without doubt Christophe Mbaiougam who is on the run in the United States and against whom an arrest warrant has been issued.

His counsel indicated, however, that he intended to plead not guilty also. The next hearing is scheduled for September 10, 2014.

The different parties were called upon to produce a list of witnesses. It should be recalled that Iya Mohammed was arrested June 10, 2013, in the aftermath of the match between Togo and Cameroon during the qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup.