Incisive Journalism in Cameroon: The Best of ��Cameroon Report�� (1978 � 1986)

11. Cameroon Report 01/10/1982: Crackdown on Customs Fraud

37 11 Cameroon Report 01/10/1982: Crackdown on Customs Fraud Introduction: Turning now to other event of the week, there was the customs fraud affair. Every citizen in this country will agree with us (Cameroon Report) that the man who once drank soda or tonic water switches immediately to Becks beer or St. Pauli Girl on becoming a Customs Officer. This exhibition of their ill-gotten riches obviously leads to social emulation by less scrupulous members of the society, constituting a serious and constant threat to public morality. This observation leads one to recall with nostalgia, the good old days of West Cameroon when commissions of inquiry were set up to probe people who become rich overnight. People tend to regard these customs officials with contempt including those in the lower grades, some of whom are said to own mansions, hotels and other businesses. Ask a customs officer where he acquired his wealth, he would not give you an answer, but the forces of law and order found out recently. The discovery is believed to have marked a new era for Becks drinkers – facing justice behind the bars. Businessmen were arrested and jailed, irrespective of where they come from. Now citizens are beginning to feel that the lawlessness in this country, usually carried out with the complicity of those who are supposed to uphold the law has entered a critical phase. NGOBESING SUH ROMNUS is somehow very optimistic about the recent crackdown on customs fraud in the port city of Douala and says the fight against crime in the society must take horizontal and vertical dimensions for it to become effective: 38 Action has for once, without wasting any time, crowned our words. In this New Year address to the Cameroon nation on December 31, 1981, our Head of State, President AMADOU AHIDJO lashed out against the canker worms that have been eating into our society. The President vehemently condemned social vices such as bribery and corruption, fraud, misappropriation of public funds, tax evasion and lack of professional consciousness. At the same time he assured the Cameroon people he and the government would crush the monsters when and wherever they are found. Perhaps only a few people, as usual, were convinced that this time business was meant. Yes, President AHIDJO meant business and one could detect it from his tone. It was not the traditional political poetry to which many people are too used to. It was not the poetry that has lulled people to sleep in the past while the holocaust continued unchecked. Immediately after his message to the nation, the Head of State and government moved ahead to put the words into action. There was a crack down on a number of business crooks and irresponsible, unreliable and fraudulent customs officers who took the Cameroon law into their hands importing goods worth hundreds of millions of francs and manoeuvring to escape customs duty. What a big loss that was going to be to government! And what a big shame to the frauds! These twenty-two thieves were tracked down and severely punished by law. The Minister of Justice and authorities of the judicial and legal department in Douala as well as the forces of law and order need to be lauded for tracing and capturing the swindlers. Because justice prevailed this time and the law exercised with neither fear nor favour, the frauds were condemned to many years of imprisonment and heavy fines. 39 We know that criminals have been embezzling or defrauding money or goods in this way in the country and living the lifestyles of millionaires. These are the same thieves who have mansions here and there. They have hundreds of millions in their bank accounts, buy cars and build homes for girl friends and worse of all, crush the poor and helpless ones whose money they actually stole to become what they are. When you think of all these and the many more atrocities they cause because of their ill-begotten wealth, you will not help praising the authorities for the measures taken against these frauds. This is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step and we cannot now sit back and feel that all that needs to be done has been done. It is only a beginning that should serve as a warning to all those worms that eat us from within, all those money mongers...