A recent dispatch by the Agence France Presse, AFP news agency, reported yet another attempt by a yet-to-be-identified “Union pour une Diaspora Active” based in France last November 2, 2011 to file a suit with a French court in Paris against President Paul Biya for an alleged embezzlement of public funds (“recel de détournement de fonds publics). The NGO based its arguments on what it claimed was Mr Biya’s ownership of a number of properties purportedly acquired with money obtained through fraudulent means.

Cameroonian tabloids are, understandably, awash with varying approaches to the ‘scoop.’ For some, it is the one moment many expected to see the Head of State muddled up in a way that his plans for the 2011 Presidential elections would be turned into a nightmare. For others, unfortunately very many, it is a “sellable” subject, especially as the rumpus started as early as June last year, when an NGO of Catholic origin had already brought the issue to fore, generating widespread public concern. So, bringing the issue up again, could only have been to give the impression that there were new elements to give credit to the earlier accusations.

It is necessary to state here and now that there are no new elements in the unwarranted allegations started by the “Union pour une Diaspora Active”. In February this year, a court of law in Paris threw out a suit on the same issue presented by a Paris-based Cameroonian civil society organization with virtually the same objectives, the “Conseil des Camerounais de la Diaspora”. The AFP dispatch, citing the suit of the “Union pour une Diaspora Active” did not give any details on what President Biya is being accused of. It would have been necessary to demonstrate, for this suit to be founded, what Mr Biya has acquired in terms of private property and how such property was acquired with embezzled funds. It would also have been interesting to know if the value of such property was out of reach for some one of Mr Biya’s financial and social standing and that only embezzled money could have enabled him acquire such; hence the notion of ill-gotten wealth.

In its columns of late, Cameroon Tribune has played the role of accompanist in President Paul Biya’s struggle to rid the country of corrupt practices with specific emphasis on graft. It will therefore be most embarrassing to find a president wont on fighting corruption and promoting good practices to be involved in acts which the “Union pour une Diaspora Active” want to associate the President with.
All too often, these NGOs give little premium to the effectiveness and seriousness of the Cameroonian judicial and legal system. But the decision to place a “no-case” tag on the first accusation was done by a Paris-based court. This new suit does not seem to have any new elements. One is tempted to imagine that the court will eventually throw it out like the other suit for want of evidence. Simply put, the new suit with the French court is clearly a déjà vu issue.