Dangle Kumase Trial: Witnesses struggle to prove case

The former SDF Mayor of Douala IV Council on December 2, 2015, appeared before the Yaounde-based Special Criminal Court for embezzling over FCFA 131 million.

Proving the embezzlement accusations against Dangle John Kumase, a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP and immediate past Social Democratic Front, SDF, Mayor of Douala IV Sub-divisional Council, might be a tall order for the prosecution. The former Mayor stands accused at the Yaounde-based Special Criminal Court, SCC, on a three-count charge of embezzling public funds. The trial began on October 7, 2015.

The charges include the embezzlement of FCFA 9,120,000, being three months’ rents for 2008 paid by Bicec Bank for the council building it is renting and FCFA 32 million from the FCFA 90 million disbursed by the Douala City Council to the Douala IV Sub-divisional Council for sanitation purposes. The last charge concerns the embezzlement of FCFA 90 million, being deductions from Council workers’ salaries for National Social Insurance Fund, CNPS dues.

Two prosecution witnesses appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. They were the present First Deputy Mayor of Douala IV Sub-divisional Council, Simo Tchapga, and Mbong Jonas Epie, a senior council staff and former Secretary General of Douala IV Sub-divisional Council. Handling the matter were Mr. Justice Wanki Richard, President, assisted by Mr. Justice Eyango Rene Lucien and Mr. Justice Nimagalina Mpalang. The prosecution was led by Mr. Justice Weseba David, Advocate General.

Led in evidence by Advocate General Weseba and in cross examination by Senior Barrister Agbor Ashu Emmanuel, counsel for Dangle, Simo Tchapga admitted that he did not know much about the matter. He added that he was only asked to appear as witness because the current Mayor of Douala IV Council, Fredéric Koum Amond Elanguè, who has been handling the matter, is sick. Tchapga however recognised minutes of the August 13, 2015 council sitting at which the Administrative Accounts for 2013 were approved. Exasperated by Simo Tchapga’s performance, Mr. Justice Weseba David said he was ending his cross examination to bring in a witness who understood the matter better.

Mbong Jonas Epie, now Secretary General of Nkondjock Council in Nkam Division of Littoral Region, was ushered into the witness box. But Justice Weseba, Justice Wanki Richard, other trial judges and the defence counsel, had a hard time bringing him to order. Mbong kept insisting to be given the opportunity to explain how he was frustrated and later suspended as Secretary General of Douala IV Council by then Mayor Kumase and the Senior Divisional Officer for Wouri. He kept responding to his own questions and not what was asked by the court. As the whistle blower who set off investigations into the matter that eventually led to the arraignment of Dangle John Kumase, Mbong said his evidence was only based on correspondence from the Douala City Council, CNPS and other sources.

Questioned by Barrister Agbor Ashu if he went to the Douala City Council, Bicec Bank and CNPS to crosscheck his facts before submitting his corruption complaint, Mbong responded by saying that it was not his role. Talking to Cameroon Tribune after, the Counsel for Dangle John said it was clear that Mbong Jonas Epie came to plead his personal cause. “He proved to the court that there is no case to answer. He refused to answer questions and denied even what was evident. He made a lot of allegations without providing the evidence to substantiate any of them. Even when the defence presented evidence to him, he refused to collect or read it,” he noted.

According to Barrister Agbor Ashu Emmanuel, Douala IV Council did not have the money to pay its dues to CNPS, and so it was not embezzlement as such. Mayor Kumase is said to have inherited a debt of FCFA 400 million, which he settled and over FCFA 90 million was left. The present management of Douala IV Council is said to have since cleared the debt, Barrister Agbor disclosed. The trial was adjourned to Monday, December 21, 2015.