Principal Witness Absent in Tchakounte Case

The embezzlement case pitting the State of Cameroon against Joseph Tchakounte, Guillaume Mankollo Ekomba and Samuel Mouengue Massoma was in its fourth hearing on Wednesday June 5, 2013 at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde. The session led by the Vice President of the Court, Francis Moukoury focused on the cross-examination and re-examination of Joseph Tchakounte. In spite of the absence of the private audit inspector, Roger Tsanga Nomo, the court continued with its proceedings. Joseph Tchakounte mounted the witness box to testify on the charge of complicity in the embezzlement of over FCFA 14 million.

Interrogated by the civil claimer's lawyer, Barrister Sylvestre Nah Nah, the accused said the cashier is in charge of receiving money in the weighing station. He said he was the financial clerk and principal overseer of the income that came into the weighing station. He said his role was to ensure that the amount paid by the cashier corresponds with the daily routine form for reception. The money received was paid into the Dibombari Treasury. Asked who justified his payments into the Dibombari Treasury, Tchakounte said payment was made to the Programme for the Recovery of Road Funds. He said as a financial clerk, he did not give out receipts and that no receipts carry his handwriting. He said he was sure that the audit inspector would not recognise his writing.

Joseph Tchakounte further explained he never cancelled receipts during his tenure of office and that the cancelled receipts tendered referred to in court were not cancelled in his presence. Asked why he travelled to Nigeria and changed his name before coming back to Cameroon where he was caught, Tchakounte said he has never changed his name. He said he travelled to Nigeria as a free Cameroonian and was not chased by anybody. He also said he went to Nigeria after a control mission in which he had no fault.

In his cross-examination, Advocate General Didier Edjisner sought to know the source of receipts in the Bekoko weighing station. Tchakounte said when he took office in 2008 the receipts were supplied by the Programme for the Recovery of Road Funds. But from January 2009, the receipts were given by the treasury.

During re-examination, Tchakounte said the receipts given to users are controlled. He said while he was in service, he had undertaken three controls. Defence lawyer, Barrister Fernand Honoré Tagouemekong requested for the principal witness who is a private audit inspector to be brought to court to testify so that the truth in the case may be revealed. The trial was adjourned to June 20, 2013 pending the appearance of the principal witness.

The accused are charged with embezzling State funds and the use of fake documents. Joseph Tchakounte is accused of embezzling FCFA 81.429.250; Samuel Mouengue Massoma, FCFA 14.049.000 and Guillaume Mankollo Ekomba, FCFA 8.500.000 from the Weighing Station in Bekoko, Dibombari Sub-division in the Littoral Region.