For embezzling 23.9 billion FCFA: Mebe Ngo’o slammed 30-year jail term.

The wife of the former member of government, Bernadette Minla'a Nkoulou, who had managed 113 contracts under the Ministry of Defence via a firm known as Limousines Prestige Services, was found guilty of complicity in the misappropriation of public funds of about five billion FCFA.

While the husband was slammed a 30-year jail sentence, the wife was sentenced ten years imprisonment. The landmark verdict fell late Tuesday January 31, 2023.

The judgment of the case pitting Mebe Ngo'o and Co against the State of Cameroon came after nearly four years of legal proceedings before the Special Criminal Tribunal of Yaounde.

According to the judgment passed Tuesday, Mebe Ngo'o, who, previously served as Delegate General for National Security, was found guilty of the embezzlement of public funds for a cumulative amount of a little over 23.9 billion FCFA through overbilling of contracts for the acquisition of military equipment and materials between 2012 and 2015.

He was also found guilty of money laundering. On the other hand, the court exonerated him for facts not established, of the embezzlement of 196.8 billion FCFA under a financing agreement signed between the State of Cameroon and Chinese company, Poly-Technologies Inc. The contract was signed for the delivery of military equipment.

The court in its ruling vindicated the former regime strongman of the alleged embezzlement of 20.374 billion FCFA through special contracts allegedly overcharged and two decisions to release funds without documents, corruption amongst others.

Meanwhile, his wife, Bernadette Minla'a Nkoulou, was sentenced to ten years in prison for complicity in the embezzlement of an amount of five billion FCFA in the context of various services offered to the Ministry of Defence while Mebe Ngo’o served as minister.

Under the leadership of her husband at the helm of the Ministry of Defence, her company, Limousines Prestige Services, LPS, had won 113 contracts.

The prosecution suspected that some of the said services had not been delivered.

Following Tuesday’s verdict, the couple still have the opportunity of appealing the judgment.

For his part, the former Deputy Head of the Military Secretariat of Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo'o, Colonel Ghislain Victor Mboutou, was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for complicity in the embezzlement of 16 billion FCFA.

Another co-accused, Maxime Leonard Mbangue, a former Treasury Inspector sent on secondment to the Ministry of Defence under Mebe Ngo'o was also slammed.

The least severe sanction of nine years was slammed on Victor Menye, former Deputy General Manager of the Société Camerounaise de Banque.

He was found guilty of complicity in money laundering of an amount of about 5 billion FCFA.

The latter was meanwhile found not guilty of complicity in the embezzlement of the total sum of 18.699 billion FCFA, another charge brought against him during the investigation.

Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo'o, it should be recalled, was arrested in 2019 along with his wife and three of his close collaborators.

The former defence boss, once tipped to succeed President Paul Biya, was later charged with diverting public funds and corruption.

Mebe Ngo'o was sacked from government in 2018 where he served from 2015 as Transport Minister after spending the six previous years at the Ministry of Defence.

Journalist, Jules Koum Koum, who died in a road accident, had in 2010 investigated an alleged overbilling scandal for military uniforms at the Defence Ministry when Mebe Ngo'o was minister.

Before joining government, Mebe Ngo’o had led the police force. He had previously served as Director of Civil Cabinet at the Presidency, the closest collaborator of the Head of State.