The Fight Against Corruption in Cameroon Must be Persistent and Transparent

 Siyam Siwe

CCDHR welcomes the sentences handed down by the Wouri High Court on December 13, 2007, on charges of corruption for Alphonse Siyam Siwe - former General Manager of the Douala Ports Authority; Edouard Etonde Ekoto - Retired Colonel, former Chairman of the Douala Ports Authority and former Government Delegate to the Douala City Council; Simon Pierre Ewodo Noah - former Deputy General Manager of the Douala Ports Authority; and  Francois Marie Nitcheu Siewe former Technical Director of the Douala Ports Authority.

                                                                                                                           Etonde Ekote

They were tried for embezzling FCFA 40 billion from the Douala Ports Authority and were sentenced to the following prison terms: Siyam Siwe (30 years); Etonde Ekoto (15years), Ewodo Noah (10 years); Nitcheu Siewe (25 years). Besides the prison terms, they would pay FCFA 13 billion in damages to the Douala Ports Authority. As such, the court ordered the properties of the convicts to be seized and their bank accounts frozen.

CCDHR recognizes that over the last two years, the country has witnessed the dismissal, arrest, detention, trial, and conviction of some former and current top government officials, public corporation executives, civil service employees on allegations and charges of bribery, corruption, and embezzlement. This move by the Cameroon government is plausible and an indication that the anti-corruption drive in the country is gaining grounds.

Despite these anti-corruption efforts, much still needs to be done. Although there has been a number of successful prosecutions for corruption, the number of prosecutions are really insignificant compared to the scale of corruption in the country. Corruption has eaten so deep into the fabric of the Cameroonian society such that it dictates almost every aspect of life. State officials, civil service employees, and law enforcement officials continue to engage in corrupt practices with impunity. Cases of open public corruption by law enforcement officers continue unabated. The Government’s unwillingness to make corrupt officials accountable for their actions is responsible for the institutionalization of corruption in Cameroon.

CCDHR notes that the Cameroon government’s effort to begin doing something about corruption in the country was mostly driven by international demands made as a precondition for the country to qualify for debt elimination under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC). Accordingly, Law No. 2006/088 of 11 March 2006 was passed creating the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). This new Anti-Corruption Commission replaced the dormant National Anti-Corruption Observatory that was headed by the Prime Minister.

While the current Anti-Corruption Commission has undoubtedly been more active than its predecessor, it still falls far short of expectation. CCDHR is concerned that the activities of the Anti-Corruption Commission seems to be selective in operation  by targeting just scape-goats or the most unfortunate of embezzlers, also considered to be those least connected to persons who wield political power in the ruling party and the government. This is exemplified by the fact that many prominent ruling party and government officials who have been investigated, arrested, or placed under detention in the past have been released without prosecution, and at times even rewarded with political nominations, despite evidence of their very corrupt practices.

CCDHR is also concerned that the creation and management of the Anti-Corruption Commission call into question its independence and the extent of its investigations. According to article 1 (2) of Law No. 2006/088 creating the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Commission is placed under the direct authority of the President of the Republic. CCDHR considers this provision as a serious handicap to the ability of the Anti-Corruption Commission to independently and effectively initiate, investigate, and recommend appropriate cases for prosecutions.

CCDHR is therefore calling on the National Anti-Corruption Commission to persist in the anti-corruption drive without regard to the political status or affiliation of perpetrators. Corruption in Cameroon is a dreadful monster which requires real resolve if success is to be attained. CCDHR also calls on the Cameroon government to be transparent with the public in the fight against this social ailment. In most corruption cases so far investigated or tried, monetary recovery has been made. However, the public remain uninformed as to how the money recovered has been invested. CCDHR is calling on the government to engage in full disclosure of funds recovered during anti-corruption cases and how the government has been using these funds for the development of the country.