Cameroon: Biya's Special Criminal Court closing down on former minister Bapes Bapes

Louis Bapes Bapes, former Minister of Secondary Education (MINESEC), sacked from the government on Oct. 2, 2015 was expected at the Special Criminal Court on Friday for the public reading of his indictment. Cameroon Concord Intel Unit is yet to confirm if the former minister made the appearance. Louis Bapes Bapes, who has already been heard many times by prosecutors of the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde remains the first Cameroon sitting cabinet minister ever to have been placed in custody. In March 31, 2014, he was arrested and remanded in custody at the Central Prison in Yaoundé, and released the next day on "high" instruction from the Cameroonian dictator Paul Biya. 

Reportedly, the former minister continued his mismanagement policy at the Department of Secondary Education. His case is related to that of the late Catherine Abena, former Secretary State at the Ministry of Secondary Education sacked from the government on July 2009. Catherine Abena was arrested and jailed in January 2010 for an alleged embezzlement of 250 million CFA francs. Released February 4, 2011, she died March 19, 2014. On January 16, 2015, counsel for former Minister Bapes Bapes paid 35 million CFA francs to stop the prosecution.