YOUWIN2018

Écrit par Joe Dinga Pefok | Yaoundé Mardi, 22 Mars 2011 21:47

By Former Secretary General at the Presidency, Jean Marie Atangana Mebara, and his defence team, want Territorial Administration and Decentralisation Minister, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, to face the music in the ongoing Albatross trials.The Examining Magistrate at Mfoundi High Court in Yaounde, Pascal Magnaguemabe, had charged Mebara with illegally demanding that Gia International hand over US$29 million that was paid directly into its account by SNH, to APM. Mebara reportedly acted in complicity with APM and others in late 2002.

Former Secretary General at the Presidency, Jean Marie Atangana Mebara, and his defence team, want Territorial Administration and Decentralisation Minister, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, to face the music in the ongoing Albatross trials.

The Examining Magistrate at Mfoundi High Court in Yaounde, Pascal Magnaguemabe, had charged Mebara with illegally demanding that Gia International hand over US$29 million that was paid directly into its account by SNH, to APM. Mebara reportedly acted in complicity with APM and others in late 2002.

The report of a judicial inquiry said Mebara, one Essomba Otele and other persons not yet identified, had the intention of grabbing the money for themselves, and charged them for attempting to embezzle the US$ 29 million. Otele, and the other individuals, is supposedly the brain behind the creation of Assets Portfolio Management, APM-Cameroon.

During cross-examination, one of Mebara`s lawyers, Assira, reportedly told court that when the money was disbursed for the purchase of the careworn presidential jet (Albatross) in August 2001, Mebara was not yet Secretary General at the Presidency. He said Marafa was then Secretary General, and ought to be one in the dock. Otele's defence also said that by August 2001, when the money in question was disbursed by SNH (National Hydrocarbons Corporation) APM had not been created.

They argued that instead, Yves Michel Fotso, the then General Manager of CAMAIR, should be sued because he was in charge of the transaction. Mebara's lawyers reportedly questioned the Director of Finance at SNH, Mendim Minko'o, as to who the equivalent of US$2 million that was paid into the Commercial Bank of Cameroon (CBC) account at BEAC, was destined. Minko'o said he did not know.      

Nevertheless, he affirmed that between August 22- 26, 2001, SNH paid US$29 million directly into the account of Gia International at the Bank of America, and an equivalent of US$2 million into the account of CBC at BEAC.

The Director presented a copy of Letter No. 173/CF/MINEFI/Cab of August 21, 2001, signed by the then Minister of Economy and Finance, Michel Meva`a M`eboutou, and addressed to the General Manager of SNH, instructing him to deposit into the accounts of Gia International and CBC a total of US$ 31 million, without any delay.

SNH Testifies In Court

When SNH General Manager, Adolphe Moise Fridolin Etame Moudiki, stood up to testify, he told the Examining Magistrate that while US$29 million was paid directly into the account of Gia international, an equivalent of US$2 million (FCFA 1,550,000,000) was paid into the account of CBC, at BEAC in Yaounde. The total amount of money which SNH disbursed in August 2001 as part payment for the manufacture of the presidential jet (BBJ-2) was thus, US$31 million. It is noteworthy that Michel Fotso, then CAMAIR General Manager, was also CBC Board Chairman.

On his part, former Minister of Economy and Finance, Meva`a M'eboutou, on March 3, admitted that Letter No.173/CF/MINEFI/Cab which he sent to the General Manager of SNH, ordering the payment of the total of US$31 million, was genuine (La Nouvelle Expression (No. 2933)
He said he was simply acting on the instruction of the Head of State represented by the then Secretary General at the Presidency, Hamidou Yaya. Questioned by Mebara`s lawyers about the meetings which held at the Presidency to discuss the plan to buy the BBJ-2, M`eboutou said all he could remember was that Marafa chaired the meeting.

He said he could neither remember the names of the other participants, nor did he know why any of them was invited. Asked what he knew about Gia International, M`eboutou swore that he knew nothing about the company, and said he simply acted on the instruction of the Presidency to order the disbursement of US$29 million directly to the company. As to US$2 million that was paid into CBC account, the former MINEFI boss also said he acted on the instruction of the Presidency.

Meanwhile, Mebara in his direct cross-examination of M`eboutou, asked why he did not tell SNH to disburse the money in question directly to the Boeing Company, instead of sending it to Gia International and CBC. Once more, M'eboutou's said he was following instructions from the Presidency. Observers say for Marafa to appear in court, he would have to be sacked from Government. Whatever the case, the matter will next come up in court in early April.

Source: .thepostwebedition.com