Biya's counselor involved in financial scandal

The counselor and relative of Biya, Jean Foumane Akame is reported to have been involved in an embezzlement scandal in connection to the Cameroon Airline plane crash in December, 1995.

According to the report the controversy was based on a maintenance of aircraft of national airline initiative following the Camair Search Camair plane crash which occurred in Cameroon on December 3, 1995 with the Boeing 737-200 plane popularly reffered to as The Nyong and registered TJ- CBE.

South African Airways (SAA) which is affiliated to Camair by contract a signed in May 1994 has been blamed. Breaches made by the South African company have been widely noted by the press and local experts.

On June 28, 2001 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Paris between the South African company, Advanced Technic Trust Limited (ATT Ldt) and the Cameroon State to provide evidence of corruption between Saa and Camair.

Jean Foumane Akame; magistrat training, legal adviser and close relative of the President represented the Cameroon State while Prof. Fuad Srouji, defended the South African company.

Following this agreement, both parties agreed that in exchange for "providing evidence of corruption among senior Cameroonian officials and SAA, ATT Ltd, is paid at 10% of the amount due by Cameroon Saa.

This percentage was due, once Cameroon would recovered the money. There was an information that revealed that the South African company has paid 32 billion CFA francs ($ 65 million Us) for the contract, the report stated. If Cameroon recovered and were in possession of this money; where is the document for the contract?

The report continued that John Foumane Akame, opened a bank account with account No. 00078 01 39 14-53 in the name of the Cameroon State in Paris. That was when it was realized Cameroon was not in entire possession of the amount given.

Marafa Hamidou Yaya, former Secretary General of the Presidency and former Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD) was arrested in April 2012 and sentenced in September that same year to 25 years in prison.

In the case of BBJ2 already revealed on June 4, sometime after his arrest, he disclosed in an open letter to the head of State of Cameroon, that some senior officials close to him were involved in embezzlement born of the contract between Camair Search Camair-Transnet and South African Airways (Saa).

In response to the accusations of embezzlement, lawyers Jean Foumane Akame, stressed that there was an "amicable settlement". Sources introduced and close ATT Ltd, report that 10% have not been returned.