After two days in the witness box, other parties will begin cross-examining Rouly Mbila from January 13, 2015.

Former Director of Competitive Examinations at the Ministry of Secondary Education, Rouly Mbila has taken two days to tell the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in Yaounde what he knows in the case opposing the State of Cameroon (Ministry of Secondary Education) to the former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Secondary Education, late Eyenga Abena Catherine alongside 27 co-accused, who were mostly staff from the same.

During a chief in examination session that started on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 and continued to January 6, Rouly Mbila responded to his counsel’s questions on the several charges levied against him. Alongside other accused persons, Rouly Mbila during 2005-2006, is accused of unduly ending bonuses amounting to FCFA 252,177,096, illegally disbursing examination fees worth FCFA 68,423,215, accused of embezzling FCFA 28,549,675 meant for the management of results attestation, unduly receiving bonuses worth FCFA 53,887, 890 as well as FCFA 20,000,000 as money meant for taxes. Rouly Mbila took time to answer questions from his lawyer on each issue levied against him.

Talking about the mismanagement of money meant for the issuing of examination attestation, Rouly Mbila said each candidate paid FCFA 500 for a result attestation and the money was handled by the various administrations charged with the said examination. He reiterated that as the Director of Competitive Examination he was not charged with the management of funds meant for results attestations since it was money handled by the Ministries of Basic Education and Secondary Examination depending on the examination involved.

He told the court that in 2006, four structures were charged with organising examinations at the Ministry of Secondary and he was just one of the heads amongst the four. He noted that over 55, 000 results attestations were issued to candidates during that period.

He told the court that he did not embezzle FCFA 35,923,215 as money irregularly taken from the government coffers because that amount of money was never amongst what he was managing as the Director of Competitive Examinations. Rouly Mbila stressed that misappropriating FCFA 35,923,215 is not a reality to what he was managing.

While being accused of unjustifiably paying bonuses to some workers of the central service at the Ministry of Secondary Education, the accused told the court that he was not the one who initiated such payments because it was something spelled out within the budget line of the Ministry of Secondary Education. According to Rouly Mbila, he could not initiate something that already existed.

The head of the panel of judges hearing the case, Mrs Justice Tchouatcha Watcha Yvette epouse Siewe, assisted by Mre Justice Nsoe and Mrs Justice Zakiyatou Alioum esp Dahirou Hayatou adjourned the case to January 13, 2016 to begin cross examination of Rouly Mbila by the Legal Department and other parties involved.