Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)

Cameroon: Abah Abah, Back to the Police Station

He went back yesterday evening after hospital officials declared he had regained his health.

The former Minister of the Economy and Finance, Polycarpe Abah Abah, arrested last Monday, March 31 for suspected embezzlement went back to the police station yesterday after spending almost two days in hospital following a heart attack. He was driven into the Judicial Police Station during the late hours of the day by elements of the Judicial Police shortly after hospital officials declared he had regained his health. At the time of going to press, investigations had resumed and he was being assisted by his lawyers.

In the same vein, police continued with their investigations on the other senior State workers arrested for suspected mismanagement of State funds. The investigation is taking place both at the police station and the various homes of the suspects. The lawyers at their defence are spending sleepless nights putting bits and pieces together to ensure a serene defence of their clients. Attempts at getting information on the charges against the suspects are becoming more and more difficult as most of the lawyers consider giving out such information as going against professional ethics.

"Barrister, what has your client been charged for", was the question Cameroon Tribune put to Abah Abah's lawyer, Jean Calvin Bilong, yesterday on telephone. Answer; "It is anti-professional for me to unveil the charge to the press." "We are not asking for details; we simply want to know what is happening", CT insisted. "No sir, I can't tell you", he replied. However, other informed sources say the charge is linked to the management of money got from taxes collected and destined for the Cameroon Real Estate Fund.

According to Barrister Atangana Kama Jean Paul, lawyer to Luc Etogo Mbezele, former Pay Master General at the Yaounde Central Treasury, the latter has since been released from the cell but continues to help the police in the investigation. He is equally charged for mishandling money destined for the payment of Extra time at the Real Estate Fund.

Meantime, the former Minister of Public Health, Urbain Olanguena Awono continued helping the police in the investigation at the station yesterday. The former member of government and some other officials are charged for mismanaging money allocated for some projects in the Ministry of Public Health from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative fund. The projects include: the national committee for the fight against AIDS, the national committee for the fight against Malaria and the National Committee for the fight against Tuberculosis.


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