Two immigration officers busted for diversion of state funds

Two immigration officers have appeared in court accused of embezzlement, forgery and falsification of public and authentic documents.

Satock Elisabeth, stamp manager and Likund Yves Thierry, machine operator, of the Commissioner of Emi-Immigration, Bafoussam, are being prosecuted for fraudulently obtaining almost 200 million CFA francs belonging to the State of Cameroon from 2009-2011.

Results of a routine check carried out by the head of the regional tax office in Bafoussam West from 04 November 2009 to 9 May 2012 revealed a difference of 181,383,000 CFA francs.

Proceedings have been pending before the Special Criminal Court for almost seven months and the prosecution finally took to the stands yesterday, taking just twenty minutes to put forward the case.

The court heard the two defendants used the same access to the machine and the same access to the recipe key code, which is strictly prohibited by regulatory force. The centre manager then sent a report to the General Tax Directorate in Yaoundé, who in turn sent a mission of control to Bafoussam. The audit mission results then confirmed those committed by the regional office.

It emerges from the report that the scolded sum was not put back after the operations. The mission coming from Yaoundé found the forgery of receipts and other accounting documents. Hence the charges of DDP, forgery and falsification of public and authentic scriptures.

According to the charge, both defendants had spontaneously recognised the facts through the legal information and education but denied it altogether in the bar. The public prosecutor had filed three witnesses before the court. In the twilight of his submissions, the Attorney General argued that the accused were responsible for deliberately distracting public funds.

He asked the court to find the pair guilty of embezzlement forgery and falsification of public and authentic scriptures. The facts are defined and punishable under sections 74, 96, 184 (1a) and 205 (1) of the Criminal Code.

The defence requested a brief adjournment of the case to better prepare his argument.