Retired Supreme State Auditor, Paul Martin Mba’ale gave evidence yesterday at the Special Criminal Court.
Hearing of the second prosecution witness in the case opposing the State of Cameroon (Ministry of Secondary Education) to the former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC), late Eyenga Abena Catherine, alongside 27 co-accused, who are mostly staff of the same ministry, continued yesterday, March 11, 2015 at the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in Yaounde.
For over four hours, the second prosecution witness, retired Supreme State Auditor, Paul Martin Mba’ale, read the report of his audit mission to MINESEC as his own side of what he knows either in the misappropriation of public funds or complicity in the embezzlement of public funds at the Ministry of Secondary Education from 2005 to 2006.
When he began reading his audit mission report, two defence lawyers interrupted the session to lament on the procedure which they considered time-wasting especially as they had the said report.
Although the Head of the Legal Department, Advocate General, Didier Edjisna agreed with the defence lawyers, their objection was overruled by the Head of the Panel of Judges Mrs Justice Tchouatcha Watcha Yvette who asked Mr Mba’ale to be swift.
Mr Mba’ale divided his report into four different sections; money received for the issuance of results attestation at the MINESEC, bonus received by certain workers in the ministry for special work in the form of subvention to private education, management of multimedia centres, management of HIPC Funds, public contracts and investment budget of the ministry.
The prosecution witness in his report said from 2005 to 2006 some FCFA 28,549,675 was collected by MINESEC from the public for the issuing of results attestations to candidates.
The witness said the Former Director of Examinations at MINESEC, Rouly Mbila, personally managed the money without control from the State treasury or authorisation from the Minister of Secondary Education. While stating that Rouly Mbila could not justify his expenses, he did not keep the money in the State coffers but in a safe at the ministry.
The witness further revealed that most top ranking workers at the ministry received bonuses for special work from money meant as subvention to private education. According to Mr Mba’ale, the payment of these bonuses which summed up to FCFA 71,695,340, authorised by the Minister of Secondary Education was not justified by the law. As such, Nicodeme Akoa Akoa, Eboutou Akono (Mrs Minlo) and other beneficiaries have been brought before the law for questioning.
Talking about the management of multimedia centres in secondary schools, the control mission observed that amongst the over FCFA 52 million meant to pay monitor working in the centres, some FCFA 11 million could not be accounted for.
In the absence of justification papers, the former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Secondary Education late Eyenga Abena, was called for questioning since she was the authority charged with managing the account for the running of multimedia centres.
The witness also noted that André Marie Ateba who was the account personnel for money meant for the running of multimedia centres was also brought to questioning over the FCFA 11 million. The witness also gave a succinct report on the management of investment budget, HIPC fund and the execution of public contracts with focus on where mismanagement was noticed.
The head of the panel of judges hearing the case, Mrs Justice Tchouatcha Watcha Yvette epouse Siewe adjourned the case to March, 30 for other persecution witness to testify.
