Financial Rot at CAMTEL: Report Reveals Extensive Corruption and Governance Failures

The internal report, Note n°068/DCRA/CRAF dated May 30, 2022, uncovers a web of financial malfeasance so extensive it threatens to undermine the very foundations of the company and highlights severe governance failures.

The report details a staggering series of financial crimes and abuses, with revelations coming to light within just five days of investigation. The scope of the mismanagement is alarming, exposing a level of corruption and deceit that hints at an even larger financial abyss on a national scale.

Key Findings of the Report:

1. Sophisticated Illegal Trafficking Network: CAMTEL has been systematically drained by a covert trafficking operation, exploiting the company's resources.

2. Widespread Free Services Distribution: This practice reflects a cynical and massive diversion of funds intended for legitimate operations.

3. Fraudulent Billing Systems: A pervasive culture of fraudulent billing practices has been established, violating all principles of legality and integrity.

4. Systematic Use of Manual Invoices: This method has served as a trojan horse for bypassing financial controls, facilitating massive embezzlement.

5. Staggering Monthly Revenue Losses: The company suffers a monthly revenue shortfall of 4.7 billion FCFA, amounting to 56.4 billion FCFA annually. This sum could have been allocated to crucial national development projects.

Key Figures Involved:

• Directors, assistant directors, and sub-directors from central services and the Littoral Regional Directorate, including those recently retired and others still in service.
• Heads of technical and commercial establishments within the Littoral Regional Directorate, some of whom have also retired while others remain in active roles.

Questions and Concerns:

The scale of these financial abuses raises urgent questions about how such a system could have operated with impunity for so long. The lack of effective oversight and accountability is striking.

Director General’s Response:

The reaction of CAMTEL’s Director General, Judith Yah Sunday Achidi, has been deemed not just inadequate but scandalous. Her actions—strategic relocations and late discharges—appear to be more about concealing the issues rather than addressing them. This response reflects a disturbing lack of commitment to genuine reform.

Council of Administration's Inaction:

The CAMTEL Board of Directors, tasked with safeguarding the company’s interests, appears to be in a state of culpable inertia. Despite having extensive powers under Articles 57 and 75 of Law n°2017/011 of July 12, 2017, regarding public enterprises, the board's inaction can be interpreted as either a severe abdication of responsibility or active complicity in the financial debacle.

Legal and Disciplinary Implications:

The glaring absence of disciplinary and legal actions against those involved in what clearly amounts to organized crime—massive public funds embezzlement, large-scale corruption, and institutional favoritism—constitutes not only negligence but a betrayal of the Cameroonian people and a blatant affront to the rule of law.

Broader Implications:

The speed with which these irregularities were uncovered, within a mere five days, suggests that the corruption problem might be far more extensive than initially perceived. The lack of a comprehensive national investigation could potentially mask even more significant financial misappropriations.

Conclusion:

This scandal marks a critical juncture for CAMTEL and highlights the urgent need for rigorous oversight and systemic reform. As the country grapples with the ramifications of this financial disaster, there is an imperative for transparency, accountability, and a thorough investigation to restore faith in Cameroon’s public institutions and safeguard national resources.