Mendo Ze’s arrest signals imminent danger for Biya’s praise-singers

By Sylvanus Ezieh Acha’ana in Yaounde 

Gervais Mendo Ze: Former CRTV GM

News of the arrest of former CRTV general manager, Gervais Mendo Ze over embezzlement charges may not have been received with ease by some corrupt high-profile Biya allies whose names have been blacklisted for the same crime.

Mendo Ze has gone down in history as one of President Biya’s most faithful confidants who crafted all sort of gymnastics to please the presidential couple including ornamental songs branding the First Lady as an epitome of societal morals.

But his sudden arrest and detention Wednesday has cast despair in the minds of some of the officials who for some time now have adopted Mendo Ze’s approach to please the head of state with cosmetic activities and declarations. The despair has therefore been emboldened by the latter’s arrest who despite his numerous gestures to please the presidential couple has been napped by the Operation Sparrow Hawk which Biya reawakened Wednesday.

Analysts say the development is a dangerous signal to President Biya’s close allies whose names have already been blacklisted for corruption and embezzlement but who are crafting tactics on a daily bases not for general interest but for the purpose of winning a good name in front of the president. 

The minister of special duties at the presidency, Paul Atanga Nji whose name featured in a report by the National Anti- Corruption Commission, NACC as one of the officials involved in the embezzlement of CAMPOST funds is still lacing around the president scot-free. But observers say his die-hard CPDM militancy which involves unorthodox means to win militants for the ruling party could not help out things for him given that such shrugs do not move President Biya anymore.

“Take note that Mendo Ze’s arrest comes ten years after the president sacked him from government. So no one should think that time or his painted actions can cause the president to change his position on any individual’s dirty financial records,” a critical analyst tod The Guardian Post.

Mendo Ze, it should be said, was at the Yaounde conference centre on November 6, 2014 where he and his choral group not only thrilled CPDM militants but in songs and dance described President Biya’s coming to power as the best thing that ever happened to Cameroon. Mendo Ze and his choral group also animated at the funeral of President Biya’s mother in-law in Mvomeka’a recently.

It should be recalled that Atanga Nji was slammed by the SDF for having used unorthodox means to win the Bamenda I council for the CPDM, thereby giving the party its first ever victory in that municipality since the advent of multi-party politics in Cameroon.

Last week, Atanga Nji again came under another public scorn when SCNC activists accused him of stage-managing a show in Bamenda where some CPDM militants, purported to be SCNC activists ‘decamped’ to the CPDM. That was during activities to mark President Biya’s 32 long years in power.

 But while supporters are hailing Atanga Nji’s die-hard CPDM militancy, analysts say such moves smack of political gangsterism and machinations intended to throw dust into President Biya’s eyes so he can keep a blind eye on the CAMPOST financial insanity hanging in his (Atanga’s) throat.

A similar case is that of the all-powerful mayor of Douala V, Françoise Foning. Going by media reports, Foning was recently interrogated by the Special Criminal Court over charges of embezzlement. The Guardian Post has also gathered that Foning’s signature on financial documents has been suspended by the Wouri SDO until further notice.

But the Douala V mayor is reputed for always taking the First Lady, Chantal Biya to high heavens during public ceremonies especially those having the presidential couple in attendance. During the funeral of Chantal’s mother, Rosette Mboutchouang in Mvomeka’a last month, Foning is reported to have shed more tears than any other person present at the funeral, including Chantal herself.

Such moves are alleged to be gestures to please the First Lady and the head of state to look away from her dirty financial records. But one question remains: would Biya heed all these antics? 

 

Enter Mendo Ze’s arrest

Gervais Mendo Ze was arrested on Wednesday, November 12 at about 10 a.m. in his Nkol Eton neighbourhood residence in Yaounde. He was arrested by elements of the special police unit who were dressed in civilian attire. The special police unit was created by President Biya last year to serve the Special Criminal Court, SCC.

After his arrest, he was conveyed directly to the special police unit via his own private car. He was later on joined at the commissioner’s office by some members of his family including his wife and his daughter who is a magistrate serving at Akonolinga.

He is being accused of mismanaging some 2.616 billion FCFA being funds accruing from audio-visual tax during his over 16 year-reign at the helm of the audio visual state corporation.

It was about 6p.m. that Mendo Ze was conveyed to the chambers of the state counsel of SCC for official declaration of the charges against him. The interrogation took long given that the former CRTV general manager was later sent to the examining magistrate to inform him that he would be put under pre-trial detention.

The gates of the Kondengui maximum security prison were flung open at about 1 a.m. to receive the new high profile tenant. He was arrested alongside four senior officials of the ministry of finance said to be also implicated in the racket.

It should be recalled that Mendo Ze’s journey to prison began right back in 2005 when he was sacked as general manager of the CRTV. That same year, he was appointed minister delegate in the ministry of communication with no assigned duties. Two years later, President Biya in a minor cabinet shake-up sent Mendo Ze packing.

In November 2008, Mendo Ze was summoned by an examining magistrate of the Yaounde high court in relation to the same file which sent him to prison last Wednesday.

In January the following year, Mendo Ze underwent scrupulous grilling by the supreme state audit which found him guilty of 13 management errors some of which included undue authorisation of benefits to some personnel of the state corporation, award of contracts without the knowledge of the competent commission, engagement of expenses not previewed in the budget of the corporation and which had no links with his missions, disbursement of undue funds to the tune of 155 MFCFA and the unjustified payment of executed contracts with money more than the initially agreed amount in the contract. The interrogators recommended that he be barred for five years from holding any public office.

Born on December 25, 1944 in Nkong Mekak in Sangmelima, (Biya’s division origin), Mendo Ze is a prolific chorister, author of the famous ‘La Voix du Cénacle’. He is knight of honour of the French legion, officer of the Francophonie order and of cultural dialogues, professor of stylistic French and promoter of ethno stylistics. Like Ephraim Inoni, Mendo Ze is also a traditional ruler.