Cameroon's Special Criminal Court: A CPDM AK47

A significant number of dignitaries within the ruling consortium of crime syndicates have escaped justice through the stress generated by prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court. Ever since the Cameroonian dictator launched the anti corruption campaign to stop numerous acts of embezzlement of public funds in 2000, many of those highly placed government officials arrested ended up dying in detention. 

Apart from cases such as that of the late Ambassador Jerome Mendouga, the late Madam Françoise Foning escaped the Special Criminal Court "thanks" to an untimely death reportedly from the pressure that came from the Special Criminal Court. She was wanted by that body for embezzling about 5 billion CFA francs as she held the position of mayor of the Douala 5th district. At the time of her death, a criminal investigation had been opened against her.

Henry Engoulou, 60, former minister of finance arrested in 2010, passed away in 2014 at the Yaounde Central Hospital. He was detained in connection with a criminal matter that involved Franco-Cameroon Barrister Lydien Eyoum. Lydien Eyoum was accused of misappropriation of public funds amounting to one billion FCFA.

A former Secretary of State to the Minister of Secondary Education, Marie Catherine Abena was arrested and detained at the Kondengui central prison for stealing 250 million FCFA. She constantly claimed her innocence and staged a hunger strike to be heard by the CPDM authorities. Catherine Abena died on March 19, 2014 at the National Social Insurance Fund hospital in Yaounde.

One of the most pathetic cases was the recent disappearance of Louis Bapes Bapes, former Minister of Secondary Education. The late Bapes Bapes was wanted by the Special Criminal Court for mismanaging of funds budgeted for examinations and sports competitions at his ministry from 2005-2009. He passed away on February 5, 2016. We of this publication therefore see the Special Criminal Court as a CPDM AK 47.