Issa Tchiroma Bakary has unveiled a comprehensive exposé, backed by compelling figures, detailing widespread alleged malpractices within the Cameroonian government. These accusations range from the purported plundering of gold, oil, and timber resources to fraudulent contract schemes via budget lines 65 and 94, alongside extensive tax and customs evasion, and the illicit enrichment of President Paul Biya’s inner circle. Here is a summary of the revelations made public just hours ago.
“Dear compatriots, ladies and gentlemen,” Bakary began, “I was deeply alarmed by reports of diverted gold, estimated at 2,000 billion francs CFA. This revelation prompted me to instruct my teams, both within Cameroon and globally, to thoroughly investigate the state of our public finances. The findings, I assure you, will evoke feelings of anger, sorrow, astonishment, and even revolt. Indeed, it is painfully evident that over 43 years, Cameroon has regressed from a state of relative prosperity to one of absolute poverty and destitution for its people.”
LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ
Allow me to present the stark facts. The initial aspect of this alleged predatory behavior concerns our subsoil resources, particularly oil. For four decades, the National Hydrocarbons Company (SNH) reportedly generated oil revenues entirely outside budgetary oversight, parliamentary scrutiny, and any semblance of transparency. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have previously highlighted significant capital outflows from Cameroon that never appeared in official accounts. The alleged undervaluation of oil sold to Glencore at less than 30% of its market price, alongside unaccounted-for cargoes and unrecorded SNH income, collectively amount to several thousands of billions of FCFA. Cameroon’s forests have suffered a similar fate, with an estimated 80% of timber being sold illegally. Our national territory has been openly plundered, allegedly with state complicity. Ladies and gentlemen, between the gold, oil, and timber, over 10 trillion francs CFA have reportedly vanished.
The second area of concern relates to the direct embezzlement through fraudulent contracts. Budgetary lines 65 and 94, covering the years 2012 to 2021, have been inexplicably erased. These two lines alone represent 5,400 billion in expenditures lacking any justification. The Special Criminal Court (TCS), established by President Biya himself, has already convicted his own appointees for nearly 9 trillion francs CFA in embezzlement between 1997 and 2021. Furthermore, the issue of ‘ghost’ civil servants remains staggering. According to the Ministry of Finance (Minfi) and the Public Treasury, over 20,000 phantom employees were listed on payrolls for years. For decades, the annual financial damage from this practice has approached 200 billion francs CFA. One cannot forget major scandals such as the Yaoundé-Douala highway project, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2021), and the COVID-19 vaccine procurement, where documented massive overbilling exceeded 500 billion francs CFA.
The third major component involves systemic tax and customs fraud. Both the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) have confirmed the existence of sophisticated fraud mechanisms. Their official figures are alarming: 1,665 billion francs CFA in suspicious financial flows in 2023 alone; 1,246 billion francs CFA in documented customs fraud over a six-year period; and 1,745 billion francs CFA in scanning fraud at the Port of Douala, attributed to SGS. These figures shed light on the distressing spectacle observed at the Port of Douala since 2026, where SGS and Transatlantic have reportedly engaged in a dispute over control of what appears to be institutionalized fraud, indicating a struggle between two factions within the ruling regime.
The fourth and final aspect highlights the alleged personal enrichment of the presidential clan. It is well-established that President Biya’s inner circle has industrially diverted public wealth to acquire personal assets in Cameroon, France, and the Middle East. Investigations, notably by entities like ‘Pendras Pays Bas’, have identified 744 million Euros in ill-gotten properties in France. This is in addition to the Nyom estate belonging to the Secretary-General of the Presidency (SGPR), valued at 18 billion francs CFA; assets in Dubai estimated at 44 billion francs CFA; and lavish stays at the Hôtel Continental in Geneva, costing 50,000 dollars per night for the entire delegation. Without exception, individuals including Mr. Biya, his wife, his son, the SGPR, the Director of the Civil Cabinet (DCC), the Deputy Director of the Civil Cabinet (DCCA), and the Minister of Territorial Administration (MINAT), among others, have reportedly amassed considerable personal fortunes without ever fulfilling the constitutional obligation of asset declaration, as mandated by Article 66.
My dear compatriots, the total sum of this alleged predation is utterly revolting. A conservative estimate places the amount at 26 trillion francs CFA. This figure represents a lower bound, as this regime has perfected the art of concealment through proxies and tax havens. Through reasoned extrapolation, our experts believe the actual amount could reach an staggering 80 trillion francs CFA. To illustrate the sheer scale of this alleged plunder, with just 26 trillion francs CFA, Cameroon could have paid 36 years of salaries for all 380,000 teachers, healthcare workers, and soldiers combined, or constructed 2,600 district hospitals, which would equate to 260 hospitals per region.
My dear compatriots, there will be no amnesty, nor any secret negotiations where impunity is traded for a silent transition. Ladies and gentlemen, every senior official found guilty of malfeasance will be held accountable for their actions before the competent national and international jurisdictions.”
