Police to interrogate KCC staff over embezzlement

Special branch police elements in Kumba have been instructed to grill the Chief of Service in charge of Hygiene and Sanitation at the Kumba City Council, Serge Nguepang, over allegations of embezzlement of public funds.

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme, David Koulbout Aman, gave the orders on recently, during the administrative and management accounts session of the City Council.

According to Councillor Promise Chia Ful, there exists an abundance of documented evidence the member of staff has issued to a number of Kumba City dwellers but not even a franc is registered at the treasury.

Besides Chia's claim, a report of the Finance Committee presented at the session by Councillor Olive Asongwe reiterated that the senior staff at the Kumba City Council has been issuing documents in exchange for money which does not enter the Council's coffers.

Justifying their claim against the Hygiene and Sanitation Chief, Social Democratic Front, SDF Councillors, presented samples of documents they maintained were signed by the accused and dispatched to individuals in exchange for money.

The Councillors said the service cannot be issuing such documents and not even a franc is gotten from them as per the administrative and management accounts of 2015.

Mayor Abel Ebako Ndoh of the Kumba I Council recalled the recent burial of one Comfort Etta on a swampy piece of land with the consent of the City Council staff.

Taking the floor, the Hygiene and Sanitation Chief, told the SDO that he has merely been doing his job. As he tried to debunk the allegations leveled at the service, the SDO said police elements will take over the matter.

Immediately, a yellow file containing some of the receipt samples purportedly issued by the accused was forwarded to the special branch police commissioner.

The issue is coming a few years after a controversy erupted within the same Council over the authenticity of tickets used for revenue collection.

Meanwhile, out of a budget of FCFA 1.7 billion in 2015, the Council realised over a billion, representing 63 percent.

According to the Government Delegate to the KCC, Victor Nkelle Ngoh, the Council used the money in the purchase of land for infrastructural development, advancement of work on the Buea Road Motor Park, grading of streets, extension of electricity to other neighbourhoods, provision of toilet facilities and the replacement of some broken street lamps.

Besides, the Delegate said FCFA 212 million allocated for the drainage of the Mabonguisse River that meanders across the City was also consumed. This, he explained, has helped to reduce the consequences of mosquito bites, other diseases and seasonal floods that plagued the people.

Reviewing the accounts, the supervisory authority expressed delight that the Council raised an extra FCFA 51 million, compared to 2014. Aggregate reports showed that, out of FCFA 1.2 billion, excess of revenue over expenditure was a little above million.