Batibo SDF Mayor Could Be Granted Bail On Monday - Tenoh, Agogho, Tah George, Others In Court July 2

Operation Epervier:

By Tetuh Mbah

Lawrence Ndangoh Tenoh, the Batibo SDF Mayor spent the second week at the Bamenda prison. Attempts by his lawyers to release him on bail wee futile. Chronicle gathered that despite having paid all 17.3 million FCFA, which he embezzled, Tenoh still has questions to answer in court on August 2, 2012. Charged with the embezzlement of state funds, legal experts hinted Chronicle that Tenoh may just be heading to be slammed a life jail sentence. Already, a source hinted Chronicle that the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Momo division has been flexing-up towards the conduct of election of a mayor to replace Tenoh. The Batibo Mayor is not the only involved in the stamp racket. By press time, Chronicle gathered that Johnny Agogho (Mayor of Andek), Tah George Mbah (Mbengwi Mayor) had been summoned to appear before the investigating magistrate in court on August 2, 2012.

Last week, Councillor Maurice Werewum, SDF District chairman for Batibo, expressed worries about the detention of his Mayor. He told Chronicle in Bamenda that a district executive meeting would hold on Monday July 29, 2012 and a district conference in Ejah on August 9, 2012. In both conclaves, Werewum told Chronicle that militants would be counseled about the realities of Tenoh’s detention.

Quizzed on whether Tenoh’s detention had not slammed a dead blow on the face of the SDF in Batibo, Councillor Werewum waved such a notion.

Meanwhile, Lawyers pursuing Tenoh’s release, Chronicle gathered filed a motion in court for his release on bail last Friday. It is believed that this could be a reality on Monday July 29. Yet, despite reports that Tenoh had paid back all the 17.3 million FCFA embezzled, Chronicle was told that he will still appear before the investigating magistrate at the Mbengwi high court on Thursday August 2, 2012.

The process to have raised the 17.3 million FCFA, Chronicle gathered, was not easy. Allegations are rife that his wife had to bank on interventions before being guaranteed a loan from a local financial institution. Other sources allege that some of his sympathizers were urged to make contributions.

With reports that Tenoh would appear in court (chambers) before the investigating magistrate, despite paying back the 17.3 million, Chronicle learnt that dispositions are already being sought, not to create a vacuum, when Tenoh must have been jailed. The Momo SDO is alleged to have been alerted about the possibilities of conducting the election of a new mayor for Batibo. This, Chronicle was told, is inevitable given that in Tenoh’s absence, none of his deputies has the signature over the management of funds. Payment of bills and salary of workers could only be okayed by a prefectoral order of the SDO.

Tenoh found himself in this mess some 3 years ago, when he took communal stamps worth 18 million FCFA. It is alleged that he sold them in return at the ‘black market’ at a give-away price, then pocketed the proceeds. The man alleged to have been the middle-man in the deal, is a certain Emmanuel ‘Becks’. Tenoh is said to have paid back only 700.000 FCFA into state coffers.

Following Chronicle’s investigations, Tenoh admitted to investigators that he collected the stamps but was “duped”. He is even said to have signed an undertaking to that effect.

The stamps racket has been one of the fraudulent means through which some mayors exploit to line their pockets. Chronicle gathered last week that the matter has become very hot, so much that other mayors involved, would appear either in court or in chambers before the investigating magistrate this week: Agogho Johnny of Andek, Tah George Mbah of Mbengwi, Tikanjoh Stephen of Babessi are implicated. Also, Ntoh Daniel of Ndop, Wasum Augustine of Balikumbat and some 3 others. (Read details about the amount embezzled by the various mayors on page 5 of this edition).