17, May 2021
Southern Cameroons Crisis: Cameroon gov’t loses third of Lebialem territory 0
Ambazonia Restoration Forces are now in control of more than a third of Lebialem County after heavy fighting with Cameroon government troops. It is a major blow for the Biya French Cameroun regime that recently withdrew all civil servants including teachers and medics from the area.
Yaoundé said government troops were currently being deployed to the outskirts of Lebialem and a major offensive is being considered.
Thousands of natives have fled the besiege division after several weeks of intense fighting. Hundreds of families have been displaced.
The so-called Senior Divisional Officer for Lebialem has been driven out of the constituency as Amba fighters continue with self defense operations.
After further fighting last month, Cameroon government soldiers are reported to have lost all of their security check points between Lebialem and Dschang and Lebialem and Upper Banyang leaving Biya and his Paul Tasong gang with under two-thirds of the territory.
Vice President Dabney Yerima of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government told Cameroon Concord News that Restoration Forces had made a tactical withdrawal to more defendable front lines throughout the entire Federal Republic of Ambazonia but Amba advances will resume anytime soon with the big rubbergun project.
Cameroon government troops have also abandoned their security checkpoints in Akwaya and the Mamfe-Ekok road following several attacks from Southern Cameroons fighters, according to monitors.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from
17, May 2021
Special Criminal Court: Prosecutors say former Minister Mebe Ngo’o is one of the richest men in Cameroon 0
According to prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court in Yaoundé, the former Minister of Defense Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o is one of the richest men in Cameroon.
A Special Criminal Court investigation revealed that Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o and his wife Bernadette own 53 buildings, 39 vehicles and a business empire.
They also have 24 bank accounts harbouring the sum of 781,200 Euros in France and three bureau de change trading on American and Canadian dollars and in Belgium specialize in Congolese francs. The couple’s bank accounts are both in France and in Cameroon.
The former President Biya acolyte has an impressive fleet of cars. At the end of the investigation, the list of Mebe Ngo’o’s assets updated on 10 May included 39 luxury vehicles.
The couple became rich during the meteoric rise of the former minister who held several high positions in the Cameroonian administration.
Placed on a pre-trial detention at the Maximum Security Prison in Kondengui on March 8, 2019, the former member of government and his wife are prosecuted under Operation Sparrowhawk, for alleged misappropriation of public funds, violation of the code of public procurement, illegal financial transactions, bribery and aggravated money laundering
Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o is accused of having taken bribes during the purchase of military equipment and for which he reportedly inflated the price to the detriment of the public treasury.
According to the prosecution, the damage resulting from the overcharged contracts at the Ministry of Defense is 25 billion 529 million 473 thousand 265 FCFA.
The Ministry of Finance estimates the losses resulting from the said fictitious contracts for the acquisition of military equipment at 2 billion 650 million 777 thousand 479 FCFA.
The responsibility of Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o was to ensure that the military equipment ordered was actually delivered before payment was made and that the pricing was effectively discussed by military experts.
At the opening of the proceedings on 28 September 2020, the accused pleaded not guilty. The hearing on 10 May was suspended and postponed to 25 May 2021.
Cameroon Concord News understands on the 23 and 24 June the proceedings will continue.
By Rita Akana in Yaounde