Gov’t delegate faces FCFA 2Bn embezzlement charges

The Government Delegate to the Yaounde City Council, Gilbert Tsimi Evouna, may be forcefully brought before the Special Criminal Court to answer charges of FCFA 2 billion embezzlement.

Tsimi Evouna has refused to appear before the Examining Magistrate twice after he was duly served by bailiffs.

According to the State Counsel at the Court, the money was embezzled at the Yaounde Central Hospital where Tsimi Evouna is the Chair of the Board of Administrators. The Post learned that the money was embezzled through the payment of unjustified allowances to officials.

Going by an audit report submitted to the Legal Department by financial experts, the shady deals took place from 2003 to 2006, when Prof. Obounou Akong and Prof. Biwole Sida, served as the Directors of the hospital, respectively. The two, indicted since 2013, are reported to have stated that every financial transaction they carried was with the blessing of Tsimi Evouna. It is for this reason that the Legal Department wants Tsimi for questioning.

According to the French Language Weekly tabloid, Kalara, Tsimi Evouna has scorned the invitation of the Examining Magistrate at the Special Criminal Court twice.

The Examining Magistrate, Anne Noelle Bahounoui, wants Tsimi for questioning on claims that he condoned the mismanagement of funds in the hospital. The Legal Department holds that Tsimi’s refusal to appear before the Examining Magistrate is stalling the progress of the case file. Since 2013, that they were indicted for misappropriating FCFA 1.9 billion, the two former Directors of the hospital have been unanimous that every franc was spent with the approval of the Government Delegate.

Sources say the case file has been oscillating between the Legal Department and the office of the Examining Magistrate. But, the way forward for the case is hinged on the questioning of Tsimi Evouna. Yet, he has twice refused to appear in court after he was duly served by a bailiff.

The case began in 2008 when financial experts audited the accounts of the hospital from 2003 to 2006. It was discovered that the hospital officials unjustifiably paid huge allowances to themselves and exorbitant sums to some contractors who are said to have supplied medical equipment and drugs.

These opaque deals caused the hospital to lose close to FCFA 2 billion. More than three quarters of the money is said to have disappeared into private pockets during the tenure of Prof. Biwole Sida. Prof. Obounou Akong is said to be unable to account for less than one third of the money. The two will stand trial on the matter.

Although officials profess that Cameroon is a state of law and that the law is no respecter of persons, Tsimi Evouna has been scorning the law with impunity. Besides being the Government Delegate to the Yaounde City Council, Tsimi is a member of the Political Bureau of the ruling CPDM party. He is also the Treasurer of that party

This may explain why the judicial authorities might be afraid to forcefully bring the man to face the law. The recent release of Minister Bapes Bapes from Kondengui prison, lends credence to their fears.

President Biya reportedly ordered the release of the Minister 27 hours after he was arrested on the orders of the Examining Magistrate at the Special Criminal Court.

Such a situation further erodes the credibility of Cameroon’s judiciary and justifies criticisms that it is at the beck and call of the executive. It is reported that the prosecution of any state official must be approved by the Presidency of the Republic who is also the Chair of the Higher Judicial Council.