Cameroon: government ministers implicated in the "Covidgate"
A Cameroonian wears a mask in front of the Yaoundé general hospital, March 6, 2020. AFP - -
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
A report was leaked on November 16 on social media.
The Chamber of Accounts of the Cameroonian Supreme Court reveals mismanagement of funds allocated to Covid-19.
These funds amount to 167 billion CFA francs, or 250 million euros.
A pre-report had already leaked last May, triggering the Cameroonian “Covidgate”.
The 171 pages of the full report reveal overbilling, conflicts of interest and numerous breaches of the rules.
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The Minister of Public Health and that of Scientific Research are the two main ones
implicated by this report
.
We are talking about overbilling of more than 15 billion CFA francs on the purchase of Covid tests, conflicts of interest in the awarding of contracts or even a stock of drugs worth several hundred CFA francs worn. missing.
According to the Chamber of Accounts, the government awarded contracts to four companies without ensuring that they presented the guarantees of reliability and experience normally required.
These companies were also created just a few weeks before winning these contracts worth more than 2 billion CFA francs.
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To read also: Cameroon: the explosive report of the Court of Auditors on the management of the fight against Covid
For Paul-Joel Kamtchang, researcher and data journalist within the ADisi-Cameroon association, this report is a sign of internal conflicts in power.
He fears that it will not lead to any legal action.
“
This report will be doomed to failure like many reports produced by this body as well as by other government bodies.
So for us, it's a sword in the water.
One would have expected that the incriminated ministers resign in order, precisely, to face justice
.
"
All the indicators seem to show that this is a war between the happy and the discontented.
That is, there was a booty.
Some had access to this loot, others did not.
Paul-Joel Kamtchang, researcher and data journalist within the ADisi-Cameroon association
Nadia Ben Mahfoudh
This report was to be made public and presented to the National Assembly last June.
But without any explanation or postponement date,
its broadcast was canceled
.
If the Audit Bench confirms being the author of this report, it denies being the source of these leaks.
When contacted, the Cameroonian government did not respond to RFI's requests.
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