Cameroon’s state broadcaster (CRTV) announced the arrest of Yves-Michel Fotso, one of the country’s top businessmen and former director general of the now defunct Cameroon Airlines (CAMAIR) on 1 December 2010.
Fotso was arrested in Douala, the country’s economic capital, and transported to the judicial police headquarters in Yaounde but no reasons have been given for his detention, CRTV said.
There has been speculation in the media for several years now that Fotso was under investigation within the context of the anti-graft operation known as "Epervier" (Sparrow-hawk) for his role in the failed attempt to purchase a private jet for Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya .
Newspapers also suggested that he was being investigated for alleged mis-management which led to the collapse of CAMAIR. Is his arrest a sign that operation sparrow-hawk is back to action?
Interestingly, a fortnight ago, Fotso wrote an open letter to Cameroon’s vice-Prime Minister/Minister of Justice, Amadou Ali, calling for an end to what he perceived as a “virulent media campaign” to denigrate him since he left the position of director general of CAMAIR in November 2003.
The letter was written after his passport was seized at the Douala International Airport on 8 November 2010 barring him from international travel.
Had he been hinted about his possible arrest?
In any case, he urged the minister and Cameroon’s judicial services to make public any accusations or case they may have against him for justice to take its course.
“…I would be infinitely grateful if you would inform the public of any legal action that may exist against me in Cameroonian courts of law and would justify the wrongs that I have suffered with immeasurable consequences to my state of health and businesses,” Fotso wrote in the open letter dated 22 November 2010.
DEFENCE
Fotso has defended himself on several occasions including a media stint with three of Cameroon’s private TV channels (click here to view excerpts).
*“Those behind this campaign would like to give the impression that I was responsible for the collapse of this company. Moreover, everything is made to seem as if Camair was created upon my appointment on June 20, 2000 and liquidated November 3, 2003 when I left.
I am sure of having given the best of myself to serve this company and my country during this period. I know I took courageous and patriotic acts which few of my countrymen would have dared in my place.
For the safety of the President of the Republic and my countrymen, I had to take bold decisions, sometimes against the advice of some senior officials in the state apparatus, to the detriment of my own safety but without self interest,” Fotso wrote in his open letter.
The international businessman is also the founder of Commercial Bank of Cameroon (part of the Commercial Bank group which has affiliates in several African countries with majority shares held by the Fotso business group). His bank has, however, been put under administration and Fotso was in the process of trying to regain control (click here for more on that).
Yves-Michel is the son of Victor Fotso, one of Cameroon’s wealthiest men who is also a high ranking member of Biya’s CPDM party.
Fotso's arrest also comes at a time when the international media has been focusing on a preliminary investigation by a French court into alleged embezzlement of state funds by President Biya. Could this re-ignition of the operation sparrow-hawk be a ploy to defelect interest from the accusations against Biya?
*Translations from French are by GEF's Outlook
tribalism against the marginalized bamileke population,is just a second steep after the french genocide against them
let get on for the revolution
Posted by: kenfack | December 02, 2010 at 01:16 AM