Former Minister of Agriculture wanted by the Special Criminal Court ¹

The Special Criminal Court has invited the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Essimi Menye, to appear before that body on the 1^st of August. Local media reports say his lawyers have been served with the convocation and the former CPDM baron is expected to meet prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court next Monday.

Cameroon Concord News understands the former minister is currently in the US for health concerns. However, cat calls had greeted his evacuation as he was already at the heart of some financial scandals. He was reportedly interrogated for approximately three hours by state prosecutors in the presence of Justice Minister, Laurent Esso.

The Special Criminal Court will question Essimi Menye in relation to the diversion of 9.025 billion FCFA for the restructuring of Amity Bank Cameroon when he was finance minister. Another issue hanging on his head is that of the Cameroon Tobacco Company. As Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in December 2011, he authorized the liquidator of the Cameroon Tobacco Company to sell it for a token fee of 50 million CFA francs.

Sacked from the Yang Philemon government for disrespecting the Prime Minister and Head of Government alongside Ama Tutu Muna in October 2015, Essimi Menye took ill and was then admitted at the National Social Insurance Fund hospital in Yaounde. After three weeks at the intensive unit, he left Cameroon in December “under the instructions of the head of state.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News)