In His Own Words: Biyiti Essam Explains How State Funds Ended Up in His Personal Bank Account

"I was expecting a treasury check [from the Minister of Finance]... instead, three brawny fellows came into my office with a bag containing 250 millions Fcfa... Tell me, where should I have kept this money? You wanted me to keep the money in my home… for them to to come and knock off my kids before stealing the money?" Biyiti Essam

Jean-Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, Cameroon’s Minister of Communications and government spokesperson (whom his detractors like to refer to as "petit Goebbels") is in hot water. He is accused of diverting 140 million Fcfa, meant to prepare for the Pope’s visit, into his private bank account. There are also questions about the 70 million Fcfa paid to a Gabonese firm to supply four giant screens used during the Pope’s mass in Yaounde. The Minister has already appeared before the state prosecutor. Here are excerpts [in English] of an interview which he gave to the French language daily Le Messager (my translation).

This interview gives us a rare first-hand insight into how government works (or does not work) in Cameroon. Even more significant than the issue of embezzlement, is the realization that neither Cameroon nor the entire CEMAC region seem to have modern financial mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of funds within the country or the entire region - bags and bouncers play the role usually reserved for financial institutions… This story would have been quite hilarious had the stakes not been so high…

How Much Money Was Given to Me
The Head of State ordered the release of 770 millions Fcfa to prepare for the media coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cameroon. This money got to the Minister of Communication, that’s me, in four installments. The first installment arrived on Thursday 26 February in the afternoon. The sum was 250 million Fcfa, delivered in bag by 2-3 brawny individuals. The second installment, also 250 million Fcfa, was delivered the next day. The third installment, 200 million Fcfa, arrived on March 4, 2009. The fourth and last installment, exclusively allocated to the renting of giant TV screens, was received a before the Pope arrived, that is, on March 10. It was 70 million Fcfa.

How Money was Distributed
CRTV received 450 million Fcfa. CAMTEL, which was supposed to provide fiber optic links, received 140 million Fcfa. SOPECAM, the publisher of Cameroon Tribune, received 40 million Fcfa. The Ministry of Communications received 140 millions Fcfa, of which 70 millions Fcfa was set aside to rent giant TV screens...

Why and How the Money Ended up in my Personal Bank Account
Let me replay the events. It is February 26, 2009. That morning, I take part in a Cabinet Meeting presided by the Prime Minister, Head of Government. The main topic on the agenda is the insecurity in public buildings. Back then, the Delegation of National Security, which is guarded by the police, had just been robbed. So too had been the Ministry of Defense… That afternoon, I was expecting a treasury check [from the Minister of Finance]…. Instead of the treasury check, three brawny fellows delivered a bag containing 250 millions Fcfa to my office. It is late in the afternoon. So what do I do? I call those to whom part of the money has been allocated, that is, Crtv,  Camtel and Sopecam, and ask them to come by quickly. This money was not in my office for more than 30 minutes...

Given the context which I have just described, I freak out at the thought of having that much money in my office. My desire is to get that money out of my office and to secure it as quickly as possible. I ask myself where I should keep the portion of the money reserved for the Ministry of Communications. I call my banker, Mr. Hamidou, the assistant manager of SGBC. Anyone can go to him to confirm my statements. I ask him to find me a safe with two keys, one for my DAG [Director of General Affairs] and the other for the bank… He tells me that SGBC does not offer this service…. Mr. Hamidou proposes that I deposit the money into my personal bank account, on the condition that I declare the origin and destination of the funds. We are talking here of documentary evidence.

Let me seize this opportunity to remind Cameroonians that since 2005, ministerial departments are barred from opening bank accounts in commercial banks. I know this because I was Secretary-General at the ministry at the time.

Where the hell did they want me to put this money? If I wanted to embezzle the money, I would have hidden it in my village. Is keeping money in the bank the only way to embezzle? By the way, I am not even the person who carried out this operation. I sent my Director of General Affairs, madame Ndzié Chantal, who is in charge of financial matters.
 […]

Did I deposit public funds in a private account ? Yes! But it was clearly stated that the money in my private account was a “deposit for the Pope’s arrival”. What does that mean? If I had died on that day, my heirs would not have been able to recuperate this money…

Why I Paid a Gabonese Firm 70 Million Fcfa to supply Four Giant TV Screens
On March 7, I wrote to my superiors to inform them of negotiations with the German firm CI Vidéo Rental Gmbh, which was ready to install two giant screens for three-hundred millions, nine hundred and twelve thousand Fcfa (350 912 000 Fcfa). I considered this too expensive. But that was their final offer. A few days later… the artist George Seba (now I am ready to go off because people say a lot of foolish things about Biyiti) informs me that there is a company in Libreville which rents sound equipment and giant screens, and that he would put me in touch with them. He calls a certain Mr. Manyanga who tells me that he can  provide 4 giant screens for 70 million Fcfa, including transportation by air. We are one week away from the Pope’s visit. We must hurry… It is war and I have to win. I write to my superiors on March 9 to present the proposal from Gabon, which is affordable… Mr. Manyanga demands 50% upfront payment before he can deliver the giant screens. The money is available in my bank account. I consult my banker who presents me with the requirements to fulfill, and I realize that I cannot meet them. Mr. Manyanga is willing to come to Cameroon to pick up his money. But the 50% which he requires is 35 million Fcfa, a lot of money.

I call Cameroon’s ambassador to Gabon who advises against handing over money to someone’s whose firm I know nothing about. He asks me to send one of my collaborators to Gabon to assess the firm. I plan a kamikaze operation. That is, we carry the money in a bag, we take it to these people; they put the giant screens in the plane and we’re done.

On his Interrogation by the Prosecutor
They asked me why I deposited public money into a private account, and I explained [the circumstances]. This has been the primary question to date. But I would like to send this question back to my accusers. Tell me, where should I have kept this money? You wanted me to keep this money in my home at Mendong, which is not sufficiently protected, for the to come and knock off my kids before stealing the money? In that case, they would have claimed that I had faked a robbery. I don’t have a safe at the ministry, and it would not have been wise to keep it there, given the context of  the widespread insecurity of public buildings. I am a Minister, that is, I accept my responsibilities. If the Head of State had thought that I was a wimp, he would not have put me here. I made my decision. I think it was that one that I had to take at that moment. The only question that matters today is what Biyiti did with the money?

On how Much Money is Currently in His Bank Account
This money entered and left my account within three weeks. I have four bank accounts. I will publish the account numbers tomorrow. These four bank accounts had a total of  10 132 625 Fcfa. After the Pope left, these accounts had 10 306 020 francs Fcfa. The Pope did not make me rich. I did not swindle any money.

On the Fate the Awaits Him
I am not a lawyer… from my point of view, this is an administrative fault. It is a management error which cannot be comparable to a crime or an intention to commit a crime. If the law stipulates that state funds cannot be deposited in private bank accounts, you know, there is the law, and also the spirit of the law. And in this case, the spirit of this law is that the funds have to be preserved to serve the public interest. And, I have shown that this is what I did. .. I am serene. I did not kill anyone. Perhaps I committed a management error... but I have explained what I did with the money, and people saw the results. I am untroubled. Now, let’s recognize that I am subject to the law. And, if the legal system of my country considers that I have committed a crime, I am right here. I am an ordinary citizen.

Comments

[MILLAISGOD]

ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL

[Ambe Johnson]

Millions transported in "mokuta" bags; giant outdoor TV screens that cost 70 million FCFA to rent and not to buy; "Kamikaze missions" to Gabon with bagloads of money... Did you say Banana republic?????!!!!!!

[Jean Paul Toure]

99 days for a thief and one day for the owner. Why did he ( Biyiti Essam ) not deposit the money with the treasury in Yaounde? The government owns the treasury and all tax payers money is deposited there or not? Why did he choose his personal bank account? carrying bags of money from cameroon to Gabon..... What an excuse ......

Let justice prevail.

[Mbala]

I am no fan of Biyiti, particularly after his sanguinary role in the crackdown on the 2008 riots in Cameroon. That said, I find it hard to blame him for this issue. The question should not be why he put the money in his account but why the Ministry of Finance decided to send bags of money instead of using modern tool such as wire transfers, checks etc., Biyiti did the best he could given the circumstances. You don't just walk into the national treasury as say "save this money for me"!! - even if you are a minister....

The real scary part in this story is that if Biyiti had actually stored this money under his bed and had used it as he saw fit (just as camtel, Cameroon Tribune and CRTV did) no one would question him as long as the visit went without a hitch.

So in essence, the guy is being charged for using a bank rather than his ceiling as former Minister Albert Ngome Kome once did, to the delight of his children and their friends who "sprayed" Yaounde with so much money that the town got dizzy before the father could realize what was going on.

Set Biyiti Essam Free!!!!

[Comgi Nite]

The Minister of finance must be held accountable for being reckless with the country's treasury. How can he approve such an amount of money in bags to be delivered to another ministry with no bank account. Esimi is not an effective person and Cameroonians would find out later that they have another thief called minister of Finance.

[Djento]

OK, Biyiti might be "clean" with regards to the money that ended in his personal account, but he should be charged for negligence for renting giant TV screens for 70 million FCFA when he could have bought a cutting edge ones for far less from France

Here is the purchase cost for inflatable giant screens (preferred because they can't fall down and crush people)

1. dimension 10m x 7m poids 50 kg prix 12 280 €

2. dimension 13m x 8m poids 80 kg prix 16 360 €

3. dimension 15m x 10m poids 110 kg prix 18 720 €

4. dimension 17m x 12m poids 180 kg prix 26 840 €

5. dimension 20m x 14m poids 220 kg prix 32 080 €

6. dimension 24m x 14m poids 280 kg prix 37 080 €

Note that the rental fee for the biggest of these screens is 2500 €, that is, slightly over 1 million Francs CFA and 70 times cheaper than Biyiti's Gabonese rentals

Check out the following site for details.

http://www.hallucinecran.fr/f/ecrans-geants-gonflables/tarifs-avec-soufflerie-vente/

[UnitedstatesofAfrica]

bags of money? W T F? and I thought this was the 21st century. When Biya and his people steal taxpayers' money and travel abroad, don't they enjoy the comfort of debit cards and efficient bank systems? carrying money in mukata bags? What the hell? seriously.

[Wayo Man]

You guys forget so fast. Just recently, one of the President,s aide de camp tried to vamoose with President Biya,s Presidential briefcase..."Containing millions of Dollars and Euros in the highest denominations". The poor guy is languishing somewhere in jail. Why does the President have to always move around with such gargantuan sums of money in Cold Hard Cash?

[Liliane Namondo McFarlane]

LOL!!! This just tells you how much need there is for development in Cameoroon. I suppose he thought they would have beaten him had he taught them the wonderful world of funds movement through modern technology. I am assuming he even understands what all that is about. This certainly makes for a good laugh.

[Ma Mary]

Gross stealing of public money is the most serious crime because it causes or worsens other kinds of crime by disrupting and impoverishing society. A country will know it is on the right path when the person at the top is clean and the law fearlessly cracks down hard on the corrupt in high places. The incidence and intensity of every crime from the simplest kind of bribery to genocide can be directly linked to this kind of corruption.

[Wirndzerem G. B.]

Monsieur le Ministre,
you ask repeatedly what you should have done? I am humbled by this humility of your present rhetoric(...coerced into such un-you-like virtue by these "tirs groupés" & "pillonage" from your private press wards?) Any ways,can't this be the commonsensical answer: Call the MINFI and return the money to sender. Then and collect it in due & proper form the next morning! Simple: for if the bouncers could bring the money at that 'ungodly'hour then their brawns could as well return it at same hour. Was the dough aflame & only extinguishable by your immediate reception? Or am I unministrably naive!

[Wonja Elive]

Plz don't condemn the man just yet. It may be worthwhile to understand the the situation that prevails in the country: a cabinet reshuffle is around the corner, so it may not be out of question aspirants to blackmail ministers with help of other ministers. Can anybody explain why money was sent in ''mukuta bags''instead of bearer bonds? Could that not be a trap for the minister?

Only some months ago, 3.5 billion was stolen in a mukuta bag from the president himself! In the 21st century, money being transported in mukuta bags? This issue runs deeper than meets the eye. I remember some time ago Dibussi evoked the subject of incorporating the ICTs in management/administration. The old guys at the top don't see any need in this. otherwise how do you explain why the financial transactions didn't take place by credit cards?

My conclusion: We'll never be able to tell if the minister is guilty. Money was sent to him in mukuta bags. Ministeries don't run bank accounts. If were you, would you have taken the risk of keeping the money at home?

[Samira Edi]

An astonishingly bemusing tale of a wavering criminal——exposing himself for his complete incompetence at handling large sums. I know a crime when I see it.

Biyitti putting Public Funds into his personal accounts is a crime in any other country but Cameroon——it is actually called embezzlement of public funds in the rest of the world, hey! Whether Biyitti used it or not is not the issue. And the fact that it happened twice is a potent indication of a mind that is toying with the idea of gross theft. Maybe he lacks the courage to go the whole hog, but to me, there is a fishy smell of attempted robbery wafting all over it.

His personal bank account is not the national treasury. He could’ve opened a temporary account if he had to——perfectly useful in every country in the world——for the purpose of holding temporary funds of such magnitude, afterall, the assistant Bank Manager was there.

They do things haphazardly in Cameroon, because they leave things undone, to be rushed at the last minute and they start panicking. They’ve known of the pope’s visit for more than 8 months——not two months prior. Why should the Minister of Communications personally be handling funds for buying those screens—and his utility consultant is—George Seba the musician? Wow. Why do they do things like it is a private family matter? Because that is the clannishness that happens in the CPDM inept tribalist government.

Why does the minister have to consult individuals, instead of dealing with companies? Besides, it would’ve been cheaper to import 4 giant screens Brand New directly from Europe and shipped to Cameroon at half the price they got RENTED screens from Gabon. Only on the strength of that initial release of funds on February 26 by the head of state, the Head of Utilities [referred to here as Director of General Affairs] in the ministry, should have ordered those screens, so that they arrived in Cameroon long before the money was wired to the companies that sold them. And they could’ve paid in post-dated checques or US treasury cheques – guaranteed for its authenticity everywhere!

Between Mr Biyitti and the assistant DG of SGBC, there was a conspiracy for money laundering. The adjunct actually provided Biyitti with a legal basis to launder funds with the help of his establishment. By telling him to declare provenance of such funds—and its destination—but only with the minister’s signature, gave him a perfect cover not only for that particular unusually large sum into the Minister’s personal account——but has provided him with a high profile guarantee for future references— he is automatically provided with a cover from the scrutiny of rogue provenance of any future monies—and that is also another method of money laundering.

SGBC is not the only bank in Cameroon. Why didn’t the minister think of other banks like Standard Chartered to provide him temporary services? My conclusion is that Mr Biyitti has revealed his incompetence—as a minister who cannot be calm and rational under pressure, does his job in a shoddy and unsystematic manner and even more sinisterly, he must be toying with the idea of a big steal, and is too cowardly at the moment. Further investigations into the matter will shed light on the issue—and I don’t see him coming out untainted.
Such a farcical narrative would've earned the minister a psychiatric facility, but not in Cameroon. How disingenuous.

[Your boss]

These people do not know how to manage money, only how to steal it. No wonder their money is still a version of the french franc. The place is just begging for complete recolonization.

[Enanga]

This is so pathetic it's hard to believe! The Cameroon government transfers funds in mukuta bags carried around by bouncers? LOL.This is a joke - I used to think that the guys at the top getting rich off stolen government money were at least a little cunning, but I now see that there is no need for intelligent ploys when the cash is literally being dumped in their laps, begging to be swindled. The first question that came to mind though when I started reading this article was why the government is spending 770 million francs on the pope's visit? And that's just media coverage. The roads are full of potholes, airports are a disgrace, there are hospitals and schools to be built and maintained...etc etc etc, and Popol thinks media coverage of the Pope's visit is a more deserving investment for 700 million francs? Na wah oh! God save us from the incompetence, corruption and mediocrity that is the Cameroon government.

[E E Esambe]

When readers conversant with the socio-political situation in Cameroon vividly dramatise this situation, a worthy correlative will be to revisit "The Battle at Krugger" in Youtube. The two situations support each other. Cameroon is fast becoming a quasi (or should I say psuedo) jungle with incoherency that reeks of despair.

[ngum]

sorry dibussi but this is still hilarious, sounds like sth for the no 1 ladies detective series.

[THE FUTURE PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAMEROON ;HON.D]

The reality is very simple ; even those in Kumba dust pot roads will find it hard to believe Mr Biya and his cow boys ministers and their crumpy inter-banking moves.more or less funds exodus in bags ???

These 419 crooks just can't get it right that their days are numbered and Biya and his games of cash is and will be come History.Mr Dibussi ,fork u .. you little trash,just as your Biya man, u guys lack these modern common technics to spice up your game; YOU CAN RUN WITH ALL EXCUSES ; BUT YOU CAN NEVER HIDE FROM THE FINAL JUDGEMENT DAY FROM THE MAN UP STAIRS..

The actual Cameroon president is a fee man ; Biya no worry Boss ,your time go soon reach; even the Mobutu Seseko himself got knock down; if i am you Mr Biya ; after taking Cameroonians for mugus for almost 30years now , just have a double look at that your Chantal's zombi face and you will see where you guys are leading to....../// that end of road is just around your etoudi junta..''