FEYMANIA, that bittersweet sounding term, derived from the highlands of the West of Cameroon which denotes a breed of super conmen who defraud unsuspecting victims of large sums of money. For the perfect swindle, they should be able to walk freely, even publicly strolling before the tetanized victim who gets compromised in the deal and cannot take judicial action.
Donatien Koagne, a.k.a. the "King" of Cameroon was the grand master of the art. Understanding the way the African mind functions and how quickly an African will throw his family and friends under the bus to have the trendiest car or dress, he took to appearing always neatly dressed, riding the most expensive car in town. This outward sense of liquidity played on his victims and they freely opened their purse strings. From Yaounde and Douala in Cameroon, he took his art to neighboring countries, and then beyond Africa. Unfortunately, he reportedly met his demise in Yemen, but his fame was such that a million copy cats who idolize him sprung into action. Sadly, this phenomenon pervades all levels of Cameroonian society, right into the heart of the presidency of the republic!
The case in point is one that even Frederick Forsyth could not have imagined.
Back in 2001, Cameroon was under structural adjustment, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank were closely watching the economy of the developing country. But the president, for reasons best known to him loves to make frequent visits to Switzerland, and required an efficient jet for the purpose. The other presidential jets, an aging Boeing 727-2R1/Adv registered TJ-AAM and a Gulfstream III, registered TJ-AAW, were perceived as inefficient.
Then, the master spin doctors came into scene. The Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic (SGPR), the Director of the National Hydrocarbons Company, The Director General of Cameroon Airlines (CAMAIR) - the national carrier, and the Minister of Finance all met in the presidency a couple of times. The two suspected masterminds (Feymen?) Marafa Hamidou Yaya and Yves Michel Fotso, SGPR and Director General of Camair respectively put pressure on the aging and apparently not so smart Minister of Finance, Michel Meva'a Meboutou to make a payment of $29 million to a screen company, so that the president, Paul Biya could get his Boeing Jet under the nose of the pompous IMF and World Bank bean counters.
Using a well-oiled, tried, and tested Feymania principle, which is to self-implicate the victim in such a manner that they will be ashamed to report to the authorities, the perpetrators knew Paul Biya could not publicly disclose that such a vast amount of money had been looted for his benefit from the public treasury for the simple reason that the country was not supposed to have such sums allocated for non priority projects such as catering to the presidents' luxury vacation transport. It would have invited the wrath of the country's donors.
So the money was transferred to an offshore bank account of a screen, and of course, disappeared into thin air! Yes, without a trace. $31 million dollars vanished without a trace. No due diligence was ever done before the transfer.
Fast forward eleven years. Our main protagonists find themselves in a court of law in the nation's capital, Yaounde. The alleged feymen still have their guards up. They show up in court, well groomed, looking elegant in sharply tailored suits, clutching a serious looking folder in a very business-like manner. And guess whom the teeming crowds cheer? Marafa Hamidou Yaya and Yves Michel Fotso! They understand the African mentality, and will win any public opinion contest on the African continent. Two suspected embezzlers being cheered on and adulated by their victims.
The aging Paul Biya, president of the republic, who despises Cameroonians beyond measure and religiously does everything not to fraternize with them does not help the situation either. The updated and harmonized legal system that integrated Common Law previously practised in the North and South West regions with the Francophone Law system for the rest of the eight regions was also put to the test during this trial.
During cross examination, the feymen got exactly what they had hoped for delivered on a silver platter. Marafa Hamidou Yaya asked the obviously humiliated patriarch, and former minister of finance;
"Mr. Minister, did I ask you to transfer funds to a bank account for the acquisition of the presidents plane?", to which the former minster of finance could not respond.
Secondly, he asked, "Did I furnish you the account details to which the funds were to be transferred?", again, the aging former minister of economy could only say the whole deal was mostly done on the phone.
In a country where the rule of law were respected, Fotso and Marafa would walk. But everyone in Cameroon or who has lived in the country for one week knows they are guilty as hell, but there is nothing to use to get them. No loose ends, no mistakes in their strategy. In Feymania, you don't get any better than this.
So, irrespective of the outcome, this is simply a classic case of FEYMANIA, clean and well executed by high ranking government officials in suits and luxury cars paid for by the taxpayer, but whose greed know no bounds. Don't count on seeing a dime recovered by the Cameroon government from this case of Feymania at the upper echelons of the Republic of Cameroon!.
