Swiss Court Finds Brenda Biya Guilty: Spotlight on Presidential Family’s Lavish Geneva Life

The case, stemming from a public online altercation, saw Brenda Biya label Cameroonian-Nigerian singer Dencia a "scammer," "drug dealer," and "cocaine-addicted whore" on social media. Swiss authorities determined that Brenda was physically present in Geneva when she posted the messages, leading to a conviction for defamation, insult, and slander.

She was handed a suspended sentence of 60 daily fines of 200 Swiss francs, plus a 2,400 franc fine, according to official court documents obtained by Swiss investigative platform Gotham City. The ruling was confirmed despite her attempt to invoke diplomatic immunity, which the Geneva prosecutor rejected on grounds that immunity does not extend to such personal criminal acts.

Cameroon Concord first reported on the origins of this dispute in March 2023, when Dencia filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Brenda Biya and her associate Marie Therese Yabit in a California court. The suit alleged defamation, emotional distress, and reputational damage stemming from the same series of public accusations on social media.
[Read more: Singer Dencia sues Brenda Biya in $75 million defamation case]

Longstanding Presence in Geneva, Funded by the State?

Swiss prosecutors revealed that Brenda Biya has for years frequented the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva, where a suite is reportedly reserved for her year-round. In court, she admitted to shuttling between Cameroon and Switzerland since age 12.

This case has reignited scrutiny over the Biya family’s extravagant lifestyle abroad, particularly at a time when Cameroon faces entrenched poverty, inflation, and conflict. A 2018 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found that President Paul Biya had spent an estimated $177 million on private stays abroad — most notably in Geneva — between 1982 and 2018. He reportedly travels at least twice a year with a 60-person entourage, often occupying an entire floor of the Intercontinental Hotel.

Journalist François Pilet, co-author of the RTS documentary "Geneva, the Dictators’ Paradise", said the ruling confirms longstanding suspicions.

“This is more than a celebrity spat. It proves that the president’s daughter partially resides in Geneva, likely at the expense of Cameroonian taxpayers,” said Pilet.

According to hotel sources cited by Swiss media, President Biya’s suites have cost upwards of 40,000 Swiss francs per night, paid in cash with generous tips — raising persistent questions about the misuse of public funds.

Backlash from Cameroon’s Public and Diaspora

The conviction has intensified outrage among Cameroonians both at home and in the diaspora, who view the Biya family’s foreign indulgence as a national insult. A Cameroonian journalist based in Yaoundé, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, noted:

“It is deeply offensive for the majority of Cameroonians to see their president and his family enjoying luxury abroad, while the country suffers from economic crisis, food shortages, and armed conflict.”

The same journalist added that Brenda Biya has refused to disclose her financial sources, and it remains unclear whether she holds any formal employment. Transparency is nearly nonexistent, given Cameroon’s severe restrictions on press freedom. Several investigative journalists have been jailed or tortured in recent years, and exact figures on public expenditures remain closely guarded.

Protests and Petitions in Switzerland

Cameroon’s diaspora has staged frequent protests at the Intercontinental Hotel during Biya’s visits. Activists such as Francis Awudu, head of the Anglophone Cameroonian Society in Switzerland, have accused Swiss authorities of enabling authoritarian excesses.

“Each time we protest, we are harassed by Biya’s security. The Swiss government must stop protecting a genocidal dictator,” Awudu said.

In 2019, six of Biya’s bodyguards were convicted in Geneva for physically assaulting an RTS journalist. Following that incident, a petition was launched demanding that Geneva declare Paul Biya persona non grata. Although supported by some lawmakers, the motion was rejected by the city’s conservative majority.

“One member of Geneva’s parliament openly said the city cannot afford to lose the Biyas,” said Awudu. “That shows the authorities are part of the problem.”

Unequal Realities: A Country in Crisis, a Family in Comfort

The disparity between the Biya family’s luxurious lifestyle and the hardship in Cameroon is stark. The country ranks 140 out of 180 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Armed conflict continues in the Anglophone regions, where separatist groups are demanding independence, and over 6,500 lives have been lost.

At 92, President Biya remains the world’s oldest head of state and is reportedly planning to run again in October. His regime has been marked by allegations of vote-rigging, cronyism, and the embezzlement of public resources — all while citizens navigate one of Africa’s most repressive political climates.

Reported by Cameroon Concord – International Desk