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Cameroon: SDF Lauds U.S. Pledge to Repatriate Stolen Funds
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The Post (Buea)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Kini Nsom
The Social Democratic Front, SDF, has lauded the US Government for pledging to make sure that stolen funds stashed in American banks by Cameroonian embezzlers are repatriated.
The party made the appreciation recently following the US Ambassador Janet Garvey's remark that her government was ready to help Cameroon government recover stolen money from her country.
The SDF's gratitude is contained in a recent press release captioned "Engaging the procedure of repatriating billions of stolen money from Cameroonian taxpayers' money".
"The SDF seizes this opportunity to express to the government and friendly people of the United States her deep appreciation for this offer, which only goes to demonstrate their goodwill towards Cameroonians as well as their unrelenting fight to promote democracy and transparency the world over," states the release.
The party calls on other countries in which stolen money from Cameroon has been banked to emulate the example of the US government.The release signed by the SDF Secretary General, Dr. Elizabeth Tamajong, describes the anti-corruption drive by government as half-hearted.
It says "the drive has not only been very impulsive and selective but also motivated by often masked ulterior reasons". The SDF holds that the detention of the former Minister of Finance, Abah Abah for mismanagement of public funds between 200 and 2004 is a case in point.
The release says despite the outcry of media that Abah Abah embezzled public funds, President Biya rather appointed him Minister. They regretted that it was only in 2008 that the President decided to prosecute the former Minister.
Tamanjong gainsaid the subjective revision of the prison term and the restitution of property the erstwhile General Manager FEICOM; claiming that it confirms the partial manner with which justice is rendered in present day Cameroon.
Recommendations
In the wake of such a situation, the release says the SDF suggests that "a conditionality should be appended to the readiness of US to help repatriate stolen funds provided it is initiated by the Cameroon government with a clear commitment to put the money in specific projects for the good of the citizenry. Without this commitment, the proper management of the repatriated funds cannot be guaranteed."
They recommend that the repatriated funds should be lodged in a special account and be earmarked for specially designated projects for the benefit of the social sector in Cameroon.
According to them, a joint commission of Cameroonians and foreign donors should manage this special account, put under the diligence of the US.
They also recommended that a special provision must be made such as would permit the members of the third arm of the state, the judiciary, to exercise their functions independently so as to provide the necessary checks and balances.
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Going by them, government should undertake to put in place an independent electoral commission, which shall be arbitrated by a concert of the foreign donor countries, to guarantee free, fair and transparent elections.
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