SDF Deputy questions Camair-co billion dollar ‘death trap’

Camair-co have been making headlines this week surrounding its prolonged managerial instability. Yesterday, SDF deputy Nintcheu Jean Michel, questioned Robert Nkili Secretary of Transport over the controversial and somewhat shady purchase of two MA 60 aircrafts.

Questions of deputy Nintcheu Jean Michel to the Secretary of Transport Robert Nkili.Camair-co to which you refer is experiencing chronic instability, in particular the managerial chaos with no less than four managing directors in 3 years.

Worse it has become a money pit, a kind of bottomless pit for taxpayer money and above all a great testing ground for all kinds of malfeasance by government mafia. The case of Chinese aircraft MA 60 is a perfect illustration. In fact, in 2011 the Cameroonian government negotiated with China buying two MA 60 aircrafts. No invitation to tender, nor a call for expressions of interest was launched for this purpose.

Ignoring the scepticism and concerns of Cameroonian civil aviation experts, you have been particularly euphoric alongside Xue Bo, Vice President of AVIC International Holding, about the future acquisition of these MA 60 aircrafts, pointing out the generosity of the Chinese people who promised to give us three planes for the price of two, the third to be made available to the Air Force Cameroon.

On 11 November 2013 the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Planning, in your presence, proceeded to the signing of a framework agreement preferential loan of $34 billion with 400 million coming from the Ambassador of China to Cameroon for the purchase of two MA-60 on behalf of Camair-co.

Sir, can you explain why the national representation Cameroon buys two planes to more than 34 billion, while the unit price published by the manufacturer XIAN industries is $5 billion, so that’s 10 billion FCFA for 2 aircraft MA-60? Responding to relevant concerns of our Commissioners, you relieved any sense of shame by indicating the overall cost is 31 billion due to purchases made to integrate the aircraft, such as spare parts and training of Camair-co staff.

Unfortunately for you sir, I regret to oppose the fact that the Republic of Congo, a signatory of this agreement, in turn disbursed 7 billion CFaf per aircraft.

For your Excellency, I wish to say that this award took into account the interests, a stock of spare parts, and training of Congolese and maintenance technicians for a defined period.

Sir, what can rationally justify this difference of more than 20 billion, if it is only this amount, was used to retro-commission the mafia industry that has driven this ruinous operation, including the Minister of Economy certain officials of the prime minister of the Presidency and yourself naturally.

It gets more serious! Not content on enriching yourselves on the back of the taxpayer you deliberately put the lives of Cameroonians in danger because the exploitation of the famous MA-60 which, according to experts, is a flying coffin and will endanger the lives of passengers and aircrew as well as civilians and staff on the ground.

The MA-60, in terms of reliability, can be compared to the Ilyushin or Tupolev Russian aircraft, boycotted by the majority of airlines and banned from flying to airspaces.

Since only 2009 the MA-60 has been involved in 11 cases of serious accidents. ANSWER FROM THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT ROBERT NKILI: "I recognize that the Republic of Congo has bought these cheaper than Cameroon aircraft. I do not control the financial contours of the operation. As technical supervision, I am just the user of such aircraft. I am not concerned with the financial aspect of the purchase. Raise the questions to whom it may concern.”