Marafa's 6th Letter Denounces CONAC Report

Former Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Marafa Hamidou Yaya has written to the President of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) Dieudonne Massi Gam in relation to CONAC latest report. In his 6^th letter, Marafa Hamidou pointed out that he is the owner of the said piece of land mentioned in CONAC report but hammers that he was never paid a penny for his land yet, CONAC states that he received undue amount of CFAF 50 million relating to compensation of landowners in the town of Kribi following the construction of the deep sea port. He agrees to be the owner of two parcels of land but denies having "seen a penny or check or transfer." Here below is the translated English version of Marafa’s 6^th letter:

Mr. Chairman,
It is with great interest that I read the "Report on the state of the fight against corruption in Cameroon in 2011" published by the National Anti-Corruption Committee.
You know the importance of first order vested in me by the mission of your structure.
Precisely for this reason, I am extremely surprise to see my name appearing in Table 12 summarizes "the amounts reaped in the compensation" in relation to the investigation carried out at the Kribi Deep sea port. '
The project in question is written on page 158 of the report: "The deep sea port of Kribi is a key issue in the development of our country .... "" According to experts, a site located between the town of Kribi and Campo perfectly meets these concerns. It is in this context that Order No. 000156N.14.4/MINDAF/D410 of 06 February 2009 declared as public utility the area between Kribi and Campo, including the district of Lokoundjé. Consequently, Decree No. 2010/323 of 14 October 2010 filed in the public domain artificial land needed for development work of the industrial complex of Kribi.  Following the Decree of 30^th November 2010, 2010/3312/PM has expropriated the landowners or not holders of land titles.
This operation, according to the report, led to "atrocities" and "crimes " described in the following terms in pages 164, 169 and 170: "The occasion being thievery, many Cameroonians from and from all walks or even foreigners, unscrupulously provided with a flair racketeering flooded the area.. Criminal networks rushed to the area in 2008 to be expropriated " "There is no need to establish that the construction of the deep sea port of Kribi sparked criminal initiatives which led to a financial conspiracy against the State of Cameroon," "never before in 2009, has this area experienced such exciting requests to obtain by all costs, a staggering number of land titles”.

In this context, by mentioning my name is clearly equivalent to accusing me of trying to get, in a crass speculative process at best and at worst fraudulent compensation disproportionate under my possession of plots in the area subjected to expropriation.
It is true that I own two (02) lots in a subdivision approved by the competent authorities of the State, on a private estate. Which I acquired 15 years ago, as evidenced by the title deed No. 1702/0 dated 02 July 1997. Both plots have been leading to a fragmentation issue in my favor of Deeds No. 1715 and 1716 dated 10 September 1997.
Allow me to make you known that this date proceeds nearly 12 years after the decree of 06 February 2009 declaring as public utility the area reserved for the deep sea port of Kribi.
I add that in 2003, I acquired in the same subdivision, a plot adjoining the previous two, as evidenced by the title deed No. 2559 dated 23 October 2003. Again, let me make it known to you that this date precedes nearly 6 years after the decree of 06 February 2009.
Finally, let me give you the following information on the use I made of these plots until now, and ask yourself if they are consistent with any speculative referred: I've built a wall enclosure around and equipped the garden with a water point, I went there whenever I had the opportunity with my family and friends, I have reserved the space to built a home to where I could quietly spend part of the years of retirement.
Would you tell me how these intentions are faulty?
But even if were not evident prior to significant acquisition transaction on orders expropriation and use manifestly speculative plots, you only had to consider the following crucial fact to consider not one second to question me: I have never been notified of any decision of expropriation for my parcels of land and, logically, I never received any compensation as such in any form whatsoever, cash, check or bank transfer.
Moreover, it is not certain that the development works of deep-sea port at Kribi extended to these plots. It goes without saying that if this were the case as indicated in your report, I will obviously say its a bad fortune, good heart and I will be bend to demand for the expropriation.
In summary my name features in this report, for the plots I acquired to build my retirement home many years before a decision on expropriation and it is for having received any money.
I believe that this is the result of confusion and lack of seriousness. The gross miscalculation that resulted in "Total Marafa Hamidou Yaya" appearing on page 167 is another reason to think.

Whatever the underlying intention, I am seriously slandered by this report.

I therefore ask for a correction with the necessary degree of clarity be made as soon as possible.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.


(D) Marafa Hamidou Yaya
Yaoundé, December 05

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