By Elah Geofrey Mbongale and Doh James Sonkey
Some former top government officials have been arrested and are on pretrial detention at the notorious Kodengui prison in Yaounde for mismanagement, corruption and embezzlement related charges. They were arrested in the framework of the anti-corruption drive initiated by President Paul Biya some years ago known as operation “Sparrow Hawk”
Many government officials, including former Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Dr Basile Atangana Kouna, Former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Public Works in charge of Roads, Louis Max Ohandja Ayina, the former Director General of CAMWATER, Jean William Sollo, former Rectors of the University of Douala, Bruno Bekolo Egbe and Dieudonne Oyono, are reported to have been transported to the Kondengui central prison of Yaounde after prolonged interrogation.
Some of them are among 21 senior state officials restricted from leaving the country according to a restriction order issued by the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele and sent to frontier and immigration Police units in the country.
Basile Atangana Kouna is said to have been arrested in Nigeria by a joint task force of Cameroon, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinean security agents when he succeeded to escape from the country after he was prohibited from leaving the country.
William Sollo is reportedly the subject of a proceeding for alleged embezzlement within the Cameroon water utilities corporation (Camwater).
From 2012 to 2016, Sollo managed this public company, which recently took over the running water distribution service from a private company.
Bekelo Ebe and Ohandja are suspected of financial misconduct at Douala University. In 2014, the Budgetary and Financial Disciplinary Board, an official body that investigates governance problems in public administrations and companies, declared Bekolo Ebe a debtor of FCFA 2.4 billion.
The former state secretary to the Minister of Public Works, Mr Ohandja, was the director of a vocational school at the University of Douala before being promoted to Minister.
Meanwhile Robert Nkili former transport minister, Pr Élie Claude Ndam Njitoyap Director of the Yaounde General Hospital and Jean Louis Beh Mengue, former Director of the telecommunications regulatory board are also being grilled for corruption related charges.
Launched in 2006, the Sparrow Hawk Operation has sent some senior top government officials like former Prime Minister, Inoni Ephraim, former SG at the Presidency, Jean Marie Atangana Mebara, former personal Physician of President Biya, Titus Edzoa, former Minister of State for Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, Michel Thiery Atangana, Yves Michel Fotso etc.
President Biya gave a new push to the fight against the embezzlement of public funds when he sacked some of the government officials during the Cabinet reshuffle of last March 2, 2018.
Since then, the Special Criminal Court and the Kondengui prison have been been transformed into public venues of attraction as many citizens especially pressmen and keen observers are streaming in to gather information.
vvv