The Great Cleanup: Ondo Ndong Charged with Embezzling 29 Billion FCFA

Dibussi Tande

Some eight months after his spectacular arrest, Gérard Emmanuel Ondo Ndong, the former Director General of FEICOM (in charge of financial assistance to local councils) appeared before the Yaounde High Court last Tuesday to finally listen to the laundry list of charges against him. Ondo Ndong, along with 30 of his collaborators, is charged with embezzlement, corruption, forgery and use of forgeries. Ondo Ndong is specifically accused of embezzling 29 Billion Francs CFA (FCFA) – i.e., about 56 million US Dollars - from FECICOM coffers between 2001 and 2005.

According to news reports, the charges against the former FEICOM boss and his accomplices stem from an audit which was requested by the French development agency, Agence Francaise de Developpement. It should be noted that Ondo Ndong is the first of three former Director Generals of public corporations accused of embezzlement to go on trial.

Mind-Boggling and Obscene
On Tuesday November 14, 2006, Magistrate Noé Bella Marie read out the list of charges against Ondo Ndong before a packed court house. The charges are as spectacular as his fall from grace back in February 2006. And, the amount involved is simply mind-boggling by any standards, particularly Cameroonian.

Here is a sample of the charges:

Between 2001 and 2003, Ondo Ndong fraudulently gave retroactive bonuses worth 43 million Francs CFA to some FEICOM Board members. During the same period, he fraudulently gave another 10.8 millions FCFA to three Board members. A 12 million FCFA was also given to two other members as a “special gratification”. He also gave a “special bonus” of 70.7 million FCFA to members of the Tenders Board, while he gave himself 165.2 million FCFA.

In 2001, Ondo Ndong used 14 million FCFA from FECOM coffers to pay his lawyers’ fees.

Between 2001 and 2002, he fraudulently obtained and retained 5 cars belonging to FEICOM worth 259 million FCFA.

Between 2001 and 2005, Ondo Ndong embezzled 6.6 billion FCFA under the guise of “financial aid” offered by FEICOM, and payments for official missions which never took place.

In 2005, the former Director General diverted 104 million FCFA which was supposed to be partial payment to a firm called Kinepolis. That same year, he forged documents which allowed him to take possession of 3 Toyota trucks and a Toyota land cruiser belonging to FEICOM totaling196.3 million FCFA.

Also in 20005, Ondo Ndong, with the complicity one of his collaborators, forged documents discharging him of personal bills amounting to 46.3 million FCFA.

And between 2001 and 2005 Ondo Ndong is alleged to have swindled an unbelievable 20.3 billion (with a B!) FCFA meant for local councils and municipalities.

As stated earlier, 30 other FEICOM employees have also been charged for their role in the great FEICOM swindle. For example, accountant Venceslas Djomo Nomo is accused of embezzling and being complicit in the embezzlement of 13 Billion FCFA; former financial Controller Jean Bessala Nzana is accused of embezzling and being complicit in the embezzlement 5 billion FCFA, etc., etc.

Perspective
Here are some figures that will help put the FEICOM swindle in context. 

In Cameroon’s draft budget for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, 105 billion FCFA is allocated to Public Health. The FEICOM team allegedly embezzled over a quarter half of Cameroon’s entire annual Health budget!

According to statistics obtained from another website, the Bertoua - Garoua-boulai highway (248 km) completed in 2002 cost 2.5 billion FCFA to construct. Ondo Ndong’s 29 billion FCFA loot is more than enough to construct the Kumba Mamfe road which has not been completed after three decades supposedly because of a lack of funds…

Officials at the University of Buea estimate that the University needs at least 400 million FCFA to effectively kick off its newly-created Faculty of Medicine. The University is currently looking for private donors for this project because the Government of Cameroon claims it can ill afford the cost at this time… Funds just from Ondo Ndong’s fictitious “missions” could have constructed the basic infrastructure of at least three medical schools in the country…

Finally, it is worth noting that the 52 billion FCFA was embezzled only within a five-year period. One can only wonder how much has been pilfered from FEICOM coffers since its creation in 1977…

In the coming days, Gilles Roger Bélinga former Director General of the Cameroon Real Estate Company (SIC), and Joseph Edou, former Director General of the State land loan fund  (Crédit Foncier du Cameroun) will also appear before the Yaounde High Court to hear and answer the charges against them.

Comments

[Che Sunday]

So there was an equal opportunity to participate. To those who keep beating the drum of corruption being a francophone affair, I wonder where Joseph Edou hails from.
This is why I keep saying it and will continue to say so. Cameroon is not a poor country. Not by African standards. Stand back and look at it and tell me it is supposed to be poor. Its just over populated with thieves and administrative neophytes.

[Balepa]

Gilles Belinga, Joseph Edou and Ondo Ndong are part of what is commonly referred to in Cameroon as "le pays organisateur". In other words, they are all part of the "Beti Lobby".

[anonymous]

Nice article

FYI:

52 billion = 100 million US Dollars approx
29 billion = 58 million US Dollars approx

[More Anonymous]

From the Independent:

THE NEW Philippines government warned yesterday that Joseph Estrada, the deposed president, would face charges carrying the death penalty as it was revealed that he may have removed priceless paintings and statues from the presidential palace just before his humiliating departure.

Aides to the new president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said that Mr Estrada would soon be charged with the capital crimes of plunder of state funds, giving and receiving bribes, and maintaining secret bank accounts under false names.

Read the whole thing

[Dibussi]

Hi anonymous user,

Thanks for pointing out the error that slipped into my calculation of current exchange rates - i divided rather than multiplied. I will update the article accordingly.

Dibussi

[Peter Mfu]

Live mid-market exchange rates as of 2006.11.17 18:46:26 UTC.

1 USD = 511.333 FCFA

52,000,000,000.00 FCFA = 101,694,958.93 USD

29,000,000,000.00 FCFA = 56,714,496.328 USD

[watesih]

Those who keep doubting that corruption is 80% a francophone affair in Cameroon,should know that the simple fact that a group of people embezzle government funds ,and has no remorse for the rest of the lives languishing in misery,shows how corrupt their minds are.We are talking about people who are recidivist when it comes to handling that which is public.Nobodu would say English speaking Cameroonians are not corrpt,but in terms of percentage and their approach to it,they lag far behind their French speaking country men.The simple fact that the government sidelines English speaking Cameroonians in decision making ,and the rest of the French speaking public is at ease with this type of behaviour shows their minds are corrupt.
Joseph Edou is French speaking ,and a member of the Beti selected few.Nobody should try to force this name on Anglophones.

[Bondock]

Che Sunday is clueless, no doubt an apologist. FYI, any so call anglophone who is chopping, chops at the pleasure of the chopbrokepot frog mafia and only as an instrument to keep other so called anglophones under. Therefore Musonge and Inoni, the socalled Bakweri pra ministers are there because these greedy chopbrokepots want to own Bakweri land that CDC is occupying. This is a very bad deal and che sunday should go jump of a cliff if he cannot get a clue.

[AchaT]

A couple of reactions from CAMNETWORK:

1. This looter diverted half of the construction materials of the then Faculty of laws [of the university of Yaounde] to his private residence in Biyem Assi when he was law Faculty bursar. He bribed his way(with a truckload of Chimpanzee and other exotic dried beef)into a director post with the Ministry of Labor.Next he targeted the Ministry of Agriculture but John Niba Ngu never made his plans materialize. When FEICOM director died, his Essingang Lobby was right there to place him to the sacred cow and its coffers.Did you see a picture of one of his residences in Yaounde's posh Quartier Fouda last time? Why would he bother about tarring roads rather than fill his pockets before it is too late?

How can one man steal the equilvalent of the sum of the construction of the Kumba Mamfe road ten times over? Africans!
****
2. I have seen the expanse of Ondo Ndong's Quartier of homes along the Ambam road [in the South Province]. It is a combination of about 15-20 houses. They are all grotesquely tiled in ceramic white from the fence to the back. They are a rough patchment of work, hurriedly cobbled together like so aweful mausoleum. Set agains the backdrop of the jungle, with other shanty huts dotted in the distance, it looks like some ghastly edifice for dark and mystical deeds. How ugly.

In other matters, he is not only responsible for purloining huge sums, but also embarked on his dark and brutal campaign against the Chimps and the Gorrilas. One day, not too far from now, I see all these pilferers dragged to the garrotte of public justice.

[Bandeke]

This kind of massive theft should be punishable by death, because it is equivalent to mass murder. Do you know how many people have died or their lives shortened or their lives are miserable because of this ugly wretch? The thing is that the big man himself is the chef bangdee. If this man steal 29billion how for Biya himself? nyamfuka.This situation will not change becauser of this.

[Che Sunday]

Watesi,
We keep meeting at cross roads all over the internet. I am not an apologist. I just believe in disciplining my own kid before calling that of my neighbour a truant.You know it and I know it. The Betis are in control. The only anglo who will speak and I will listen is one who turns down a call up to join this feeding frenzy of thieves. But as long as we anglos keep screaming marginalization only to turn around and throw a party once one or kin has been brought in to feast, I will continue to state my case. A few anglophones will not change the system. Stop being part of the looting system. Do you think the Musonges, Inonis, Acidi Achus have not soiled their fingers? They should have said no and let the thieves feast so that when judgement day comes, they will be spared.
So stop calling me an apologist and a pacifist. Whether one stole a little bit and the rest a whole lot, a thief is a thief.

[julius]

What kind of system of government allows one individual from one of the poorest countries on earth to steal such a colossal sum of money? Given the misery I saw at home on my recent visit, and when I think of how far money like this could go to alleviate some of those problems, my blood just boils. How can members of this kleptocratic gang sleep at night, living a life of glutonous luxury in such a sea of misery?
The most frigtening fact is that this is just one thief. How about those who are still in government with better access to the nation's resources and those who are out waiting in the wings to take another turn in this merciless exercise of pillage and plonder.
Cases like this just go to confirm and solidify Cameroon's well deserved ranking as one of the worst governed countries in the world on par with countries that are at war.
So long as the thief-in-chief continues to run that country, nothing will change for the forseeable future.
For those who donot want or wish for a bloody change in Cameroon, the only ally is time, and even then who knows. If we are lucky his death MIGHT usher in a new Cameroon.
One of Biya's problems is that he has become very complacent and probably strongly believes that he can only leave that post by his own volition. The fact of the matter is that the history of Africa is replete dictators who thought they could rule for life only find out when it was probably too late that they could not impose their will on the people all the time. The most glaring example being Mobutu et. al.
Many Camerooonians belive that a civil war cannot break out in Cameroon, which is sheer nonsense because Cameroon possesses all the ingredients that have made civil wars possible in other african countries. The issue of Cameroon exceptionalism in this regard is sheer fantasy. If this type of impunity continues as illustrated by Ondong etc. I don't think we are too away far away from serious chaos.

[Tayong]

Hello gentlemen

May I say that this sum is outrageous but tribalising the issue is simply giving the "dog a bad name in order to hang it". If one doesnt remove the mote in his own eye he can't pretend take out the speck in anothers'. The Betis are the untouchables, no doubt, but we Southern Cameroonians have not been left out of the mess.

It's rather a regime that doesn't represent the people it pretends to govern but a previleged few and can go any length to allow those its represent to run riot with the tax payer's hard earned currency. There's a list of southern Cameroonians also involved in this mess though not to this magnitude , therefore it's a regime issue not tribe.
Mr Dibussi,keep up the good work.
Tayong

[Ma Mary]

Tayong is right. There are Southern cameroonians in this corruption up to their necks. Actually they are totally drowned in it. I'll get back to that in a second.

This is it: this story is the culmination of what happens in a society where there is complete impunity, and where thieves go unpunished and are actually valorized.

Even Southern Cameroons in its semi-independent state had spates of corruption. The difference was that corruption, graft was a thing of shame. You did not steal and carry your head high, drove big cars and bullied people. You got investigated, thrown out of office, put in jail sometimes and the ill gotten wealth seized. I hope Dibussi can lay hands on the old reports of the West Cameroon Commissions of Inquiry - between 1967-1971. Some big names were involved in crime. Their asses were saved by Ahidjo, when he messed with the politics of West Cameroon. Some of them ran to Yaounde where the culture there wondered what the big deal was all about.

Some people think Ahidjo was better. No, it was exactly the same stinker, only that the extent of the corruption was hidden better. Ahidjo had a tighter leash on his underlings and was not controlled by the Fulani Mafia the way Biya is controlled by the Esingan lords.

It will be a challenge controlling the Southern Cameroonians raised in the petri dish of Camerounese graft. No doubt, but it will still be better.

[Louis_Mbua]

Ahidjo's hands were tied by the Federal nature of Cameroon at the time since he could not directly interfere with the West Cameroon judiciary. Further, West Cameroonians who went over to Yaounde gave him valuable advice on the executive and legal prevention of embezzlement from their own experience in government in Buea, West Cameroon. Consequently, a theft on such a scale was almost impossible or unthinkable.

I am of the opinion that this gravy train will never stop unless it is derailed in an inevitable accident complete with its passengers. If not, we are heading for a nation where a significant majority will end up as street beggars.

[Rexon]

It is a little bit frustrating that depite the slautering of four of our own in the past fews days by La Republiques colonial junta that has made headlines in several national and international media's, this website has not written anything relating to this.

Here is a brief analysis of the events:

The gruesome murder and torture of fellow Southern Cameroonian(SC) students commenced on Monday, the 27th November,2006. This was due to the following political scandal from the occupied master: La republic du cameroun(LRC) on our fellow citizens.

1. The government created medical schools in Douala(LRC) and Buea(SC). Entrance examinations were written in all the above centres.

2.Only two SCs were selected eventhough many SCs passed the entrance, while the rest were from LRC, in Douala. The setting of this examination in the various centres was based on the language used. That is English in SC and French in LRC.

3.Of the 800 students who sat on the entrance examination into the medical school in Buea University, only 127 passed, all hailing from Southern Cameroons. The first la republique du camerounian student took the 600th position. It should be noted that the exam in Buea was set by the Cameroon General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Board marked using the computerise system, since they were structural questions.

4.The list of successful candidates was handed over to the Vice Chancellor(V.C) for endorsement and later published.

5.After the V.C approval, all successful candidates were happy and awaing for orals since only 60 students were needed.
Unfortunately, the Minister of Higher Education rejected the list on grounds that the list suppose to be sent to him for approval. It should also be noted that the Minister did not reject the list from Douala for the same exam.

6.Thereafter, a document was faxed to the V.C's office from the Minister to include 26 names, all being students from la republique especially the President's tribe(Eton,Beti & Ewondo), who did not sit in for the said examination.

7.It should be recalled that only 60 students were needed to become the first batch of prospective medical doctors and if 26 of these students were included, the chances of
of Southern Cameroonian students will be 34 out of 60.

8. The students for the collective interest of their colleagues who succeeded, asked the V.C to tell the Minister to annul the illegal list, but to no avail.

9.Then the students called in for a peaceful strike, that is, domonstrating their grievances on the school campus. They started shouting: No to corrupt!, No to bribery! They wrote placards carrying messages such as: Anglosaxon Universities are not corrupt; Yaounde should not corrupt our University and a lot of others.

10. This move was to shun corruption in univesities and allow meritocracy to prevail.

11. President Paul Biya , a colonial master of Southern Cameroons sent his secret agents en civile to monitor the gravity of the strike and give him feedback. This act was to disrupt any move for the strike.

12. The students were on campus from the 27-28 but later forced out of campus when the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Agbor Tabi told them that they should go to hell or to any organisation(s) and report. That they(students) can not change the system that has been put in place. He told them that he would call his guys(police) to disperse them.

13. The Honourable Governor of the South West Province, Eyaya Zanga Louis,from the President's clan(Beti,Ewondo,& Eton) said this was a positive corruption because the students(from LRC) would have jobs at the end of the programme.

14. On the night of 29th November, 2006, two(2) students were shot dead while the following day another student accompanied others to paradise, making three deaths. An old mother of above 70years was murdered by a stray bullet. A taxi driver who took a hairdresser to the hospital was also killed by a policeman.

15. The following people were killed by agents of la republique du cameroun:
a) Hilary Muebe( was shot at the head) from the department of Economics.
b) Ivo Obia Ngemba( shot at the mouth) from the same department.
c) Ngundam Terence Ndeh( shot on the stomarch)was reportedly dead after a day.
d) A stray bullet killed a mother who was above
70years and
e) the taxi driver above,

16. In the cause of fleeing for safety, six students died in a terrible bus accident on their way to Bamenda whose names were not yet known. This recorded eleven deaths as of now.Ms Mbianda Laura( a
hairdresser) was shot at the neck in her saloon and Clerence Nkentah(student) whose stomarch was scraped by a bullet are currently receiving treatment assisted by Lord Mayor of Buea, at the Provincial Hospital Annex.
Other victims of this raid were found in nearby clinics receiving treatment. The mayor in the cause of carrying a corpse to the mortuary was shot thrice but escaped with the corpse to the hospital.

17.Many people who were not students were molested and properties looted as the case in the bus park at 17 mile,Molyko and Bomaka(a nearby village from Buea).

18. It should be noted that the parents of
francophone students called their children home and none of them participated in the strike.

19. The soldiers of la republique du cameroun were rejoicing and singing" On a gagner!!!"meaning "we have won" after majority of the students flee for safety. They also said "les prisonniers, entrez dans la maison" meaning prisoners go to your home.The soldierswere using live bullet, explosives and tear gas. They were beating everybody in the quaters.

20. After fierce confrontation between the police and students whose weapon were stones, the executive of the Southern Cameroons National Council(SCNC) called a security officer whose name is withheld, that the strike was no longer the students affair but between anglophone and froncophones. That whenever there was a strike, la republique use live bullet on us but in their territory none of that was used. That we have called all Southern Cameroonians to fight against injustices and gruesome murder of our citizens. That we were ready to face any odds to remove oppressors from our land.

21. The Yaounde regime was immediately informed and within an hour soldiers who were sent from Douala and Yaounde were retreating to their various destinations.

[PAOLO LAURENT]

WHY FEICOME, WHY TOTAL CONTROL OF
PEOPLES TAX MONEYS AND RESOURCE, BECAUSE IF THE COUNCIL CONTROL THEIR MONEYS, THEY WOULD NORMALLY DEVELOP THEIR
TOWNS TO THEIR OWN DESIRES, SUCH THESE

BANDITS OF THE FRENCH CAMEROUN, WIL NOT BE FEARED AND RESPECTED AS LORDS AND KINGS ANY MORE, SOO, THEY INVENTED A SCAM. CALL FEICOM TO COLLECT MONEYS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE LAND AND POCKET IT, LIARS. AS THEY ARE , THEIR TIME IS AROUND THE CORNER THEY MUST PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES , IN SOUTHERN CAMEROONS. NO MATTER WHAT.

[PAOLO LAURENT]

southern cameroonians , the parents must

act with will , through the collectiveness , to build a stone/ cement memorial to commemorate the lives of those killed by the government of french cameroun,

BUEA STUDENTS MEMORIAL FUND, MUST BE ESTABLISH TO FUND THIS ENDEAVOUR.

[Yufanyu Daniel Bonsa]

I had always said it that,Southern Cameroonians should think well as they soon shallbe seen as third class citizen in Cameroon.
We are not yet recognised by Yaoude!