Cameroon Drags 25 Civil Servants To Court On Charges Of Embezzlement

25 State agents, Senior State and Contract workers from the Ministry of Finance have been called up by the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in Yaounde for the misappropriation of public funds, complicity in the embezzlement of public fund, fraudulent use of government treasure bonds as well as falsifying government documents to collect money from the State coffers worth over FCFA 400 million. Amongst the 25 accused persons, some have been detained at Yaounde Central Prison; others are free while some have escaped trial.

During the court session of July, 2015 the Head of the penal of Judges hearing the case, Mr Justice Francis Claude Michel Moukoury, took time to identify all the accused persons present in court alongside their defence counsel. Accused persons whose lawyers were present in court were charged, the court gave lawyers to those who did not have lawyers while those whose lawyers were absent were compelled to be present so that they too can equally be charge for the matter to continue. The Legal Department equally handed its list of witnesses. The case was adjourned

Some defence counsels say some of the accused have already paid the money they are charged with. Their lawyers are expecting that in the course of the proceedings, the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals will discharge such persons of any charge so that they become free.