Why Lifanda & co are in Kondengui

After many speculations of his arrest, the Former Government Delegate to the defunct Limbe Urban Council, Samuel Ebiama Lifanda has spent a series of nights at the Kondengui maximum security prison.

He was remanded alongside Casmir Nyime Lyonga and Priso Simon Mokosa, who worked with him when he was Government delegate in the technical and urban services of the council.

In December 2014 rumours spread like wildfire in the Limbe municipality and beyond that Lifanda Samuel Ebiama has been picked by operation Sparrow Hawk to Yaounde.

However, a Limbe-based radio station proved the rumours to be false and untrue as it received the former Government Delegate on its morning ice-breaker, OPEC City Forum.

Mr. Ebiama and his cohorts paid a visit to the radio to announce their traditional festival dubbed Motomoko Festival scheduled for December. It was on the same platform that he explained circumstances surrounding this rumour.

He intimated that he is presently very busy with his indigenes preparing for Limbe’s biggest traditional festival and so has no time to be part of some sabotaging propaganda by some lazy folks.

However, the former Government Delegate to the Limbe Urban Council (2002-2009), Samuel Ebiama Lifanda was summoned at the Special Criminal Court on June 10, 2015.

Judges of the court decided to place him under custody, while pursuing investigations on his case.

Two others, Casmir Nyime Lyonga and Priso Simon Mokosa were equally detained.

The charges

In June 2012, the Budgetary and Finance Disciplinary Council of the Supreme State Audit charged Mr. Lifanda on 12 counts of mismanagement during his mandate as government delegate.

He faces charges of misappropriation and the mismanagement of public funds totaling FCFA 162,395,764.

According to legal reports, the major charges are that, firstly the former Government Delegate undervalued building permits.

The second charge against him is that of the poor execution of the road contract in front of the Limbe Police Station.

The third is the Mokunda water bore holes project that never saw the light of day but was received and money paid for the execution of the job.

Lifanda is equally accused of employing private security guards as government delegate.

Police reports however has it that he said it was a situation he took over from his predecessor, Late Henry Njalla Quan and that when the city councils were created, there was strong resistance from the opposition, so for personal safety, they needed private security.

Lifanda was also accused of carrying out unauthorised advancement of staff, a decision which needed to be taken by the board.

The matter it should be noted was first handled in June 2012 where the Budgetary and Finance Disciplinary Council of the Supreme State Audit handed them various fines, Lifanda was to repay FCFA 162,395,764. Casmir Lyonga FCFA 21million and Simon Priso FCFA 2.5million.

Apparently Lifanda had appealed the ruling while Priso and Lyonga had started paying.

Our sources in Younde reveal that Casmir Lyonga had paid up to FCFA 1Million while Simon Priso had paid FCFA 950,000.

When they appeared before the Examining Magistrate that Wednesday, they just read their charges and remanded for six months in Kondengui them for mismanagement.

Because this mismanagement has cost the state and the city council, the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Motanga Andrew Monjimba and representatives from the ministry of finance appeared in court as civil parties.

It should be noted that on January 11, 2006, councillors of the then Limbe Urban Council passed a vote of no confidence on Lifanda’s management style.

“We do sincerely and immensely disapprove of the Delegate’s management style. We, therefore, pass a vote of ‘no confidence’ against the Government Delegate and call on the Supervisory Authority to investigate the Delegate,” they said.

Though the Criminal Procedure Code, CPC, gives the possibility of a plea bargain, it is not clear if they will be released after they must have repaid the mismanaged funds.

However, others have been quick to disapprove of the arrests questioning why people have to be remanded in custody for up to six months when the matter is yet to be investigated. Proponents of the common law system say it is a travesty of justice.