After Douala, Bertoua, Bafoussam: CONAC takes Anti-corruption Clinic to Ebolowa.

 Since Monday April 15, senior officials of the anti-graft institution have been receiving and registering complaints, cross-checking the facts reported, which will, where necessary, lead to denunciation of those involved in corrupt practices.

The CONAC Anti-corruption Clinic campaign, is spearheaded by the institution’s personnel in divisions in charge of investigations, prevention, communication, general affairs as well as mail services, archives and translation services.

The State prosecutor at the South Region Court of Appeal is said to have also provided the CONAC delegation with judicial police officers to assist the investigators involved in the operation.

Taking anti-corruption fight closer to people

According to the Chairman of CONAC, Rev Dr Dieudonné Massi Gams, this Anti-corruption Clinic has as aim, to bring CONAC and the fight against corruption in the country closer to citizens.

“It is about reaching out to those who do not have the opportunity to come and file their cases in Yaounde, where the CONAC head office is. Work effectively began at 7.30 a.m on Monday April 15, with an on-site examination of the files that were being processed by CONAC,” the Chairman said at the start of the operation.

Rev Dr Massi Gams added that a few hours after the Clinic opened, CONAC received more than 15 people who came to denounce certain acts of corruption of which they were victims, particularly in the public sector. 

The Chairman said teams have been deployed to investigate those complaints.

“We hope that some of the accused will be arrested and brought to justice. For certain allegations, we are carrying out in-depth investigations in the field. This involves establishing that work has not been carried out, but was paid for, establishing abandoned building sites or misappropriation of public funds. Once these investigations are completed, we pass the files on to the appropriate authority,” Rev Dr Massi Gams revealed.

The CONAC boss has called on the population of the South Region to visit the Regional Delegation of Tourism and Leisure, to lodge their complaints or send them through one of the institution’s contacts: the Green Line, 1517, or WhatsApp number, 658 26 26 82, or the E-mail address, info@conac.cm.

“We hope that the presence of CONAC in Ebolowa will serve as an incentive for the people of the South Region to spontaneously denounce acts of corruption to which they are victims, so that they can be dealt with during this week,” said the Chairman.

Background of Anti-corruption Clinic

Anti-corruption Clinic is as a result of resolution 1034 adopted by CONAC’s Coordination Committee in January 2024.

The implementation of the resolution is in line with the need to step up the fight against corruption, as instructed by the Head of State, in his address to the nation on December 31, 2023.

The South Region is currently hosting the 4th Anti-corruption Clinic, after the Bafoussam, Douala and Bertoua.

Cameroon’s 2022 Anti-Corruption Status Report of October 27, 2023, revealed that financial loss suffered by the State of Cameroon as a result of acts of corruption and related offences, witnessed a drastic drop.

“In total, based on CONAC investigations, the financial loss suffered by the State of Cameron as a result of acts of corruption and related offences amounted to four billion six hundred and twenty-three million four hundred and eighteen thousand nine hundred and eighteen FCFA (4, 623,418,918),” Rev Dr Massi Gams had disclosed. 

He said the amount was a significant reduction, compared to 2021, when it amounted to forty-three billion, nine hundred and forty-seven million, seven hundred and ninety-four thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight FCFA (43,947,794,138). 

He had credited the drastic drop to efforts made through a series of awareness campaigns carried out by CONAC to experiment its “Anti-Corruption Clinic”, enabling the institution to take its services closer to the population, and permitting them to follow-up their complaints more promptly. 

Rev Dr Massi Gams had disclosed that in 2022, CONAC received 7,061 reports, compared to 6,705 received in 2021, showing an increase of 356 cases of denunciations.