Minister Jean Pierre Biyiti Of Post and Telecom Wanted By The Special Criminal Court

Sama Ernest

The Minister of Post and Telecommunications Jean Pierre Biyit Bi Essam has been summoned by judges of the Special Criminal Court (TCS) in Yaoundé as part of an investigation into the financial scandal that rocked the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in Cameroon in 2009. Cameroon Concord understands the minister had appeared many times before the special tribunal and responded to charges brought against him for attempting to divert funds allocated for media coverage of the Benedict XVI visit of March 17 to the 20^th of 2009. The investigation initiated by financial crime experts  unveiled that Minister Biyiti Bi Essam had placed on February 26 and March 10 the sum of 60 and 70 millions respectively in his personal bank account at Societe Generale Bank (SGBC).

During past hearings, Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam had told investigators that he had no other option to secure the millions that were given to him late in the evening. Cameroon Concord has learnt that this recent convocation is no longer interested in Biyiti’s Arabian Night tales but for him to explain the "whereabouts" of the 770 million he received from the Minister of Finance in his capacity as Minister of Communication from which the Cameroon Radio and Television was supposed to have been paid 450 million, the Cameroon Telecommunications Company (CAMTEL) 140 millions and Cameroon Tribune 40 millions. It is vital to include in this report that the Francophone Beti-Ewondo government still does not see the need for Ministries and other government departments to have bank accounts. Under the present circumstances, any citizen appointed to head a ministerial department can easily be send to jail.