Cashier Pleads Guilty To FCFA 20 M Misappropriation

By Olive Ejang Tebug

Mary Jovita Negeke, 24, a cashier of First Trust Bank, Kumba Branch, has pleaded guilty for misappropriating FCFA 20 million in March 2004.  She lost the money to conmen who promised her FCFA 40 million.Jovita was arrested immediately after the deal and has been awaiting trial since then at the Kumba Production Prison.

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Jovita is appearing as the first accused in the Meme High Court in Kumba, to answer charges of aggravated misappropriation. Another suspect, Christian Nwafor, (second accused) is alleged to be amongst a gang of conmen who duped Jovita.

When the matter came up, counsel for the first accused, Henry Kemende Gamsey, made an application to change his client's plea. This was granted and the first accused changed her plea from not guilty to guilty.

State Prosecutor, Charles Mbiatem, said a cautionary statement was recorded from the first accused. The statement was read in court and Jovita was asked to explain what happened.

The Deal

Jovita testified that on March 15, 2004, she boarded a taxi with three passengers on board. One of the passengers, Ali Mohammed Tele, was angry with the driver for taking another passenger (Jovita) even though he had offered him a generous sum.

As the argument intensified, Jovita said Ali told them he was transporting goods that are supposed to be delivered promptly.Jovita said William Sakwe Tabi, a brother to Ali, became furious and rushed to the boot of the taxi and found money inside.

She said Tabi ordered the driver to drive to the police station immediately. He accused Ali of transporting FCFA 400 million in cartons.Jovita said Ali burst into tears, saying he was from Nigeria and had just stolen the money from his master after working for three years without payment.

She said Ali promised to share the money with them. The driver then took them to a house in Hausa Quarters, Fiango, Kumba, said Jovita.Inside the house, the cartons were opened. Ali told them he would need FCFA 20 million for the money to be washed with mercury from SONARA Laboratory.

She said Ali brought out FCFA 6 million, Tabi presented FCFA 1 million and the others gave FCFA 2 million, which amounted to FCFA 9 million. Jovita was asked to give FCFA 11 million, with a promise that she would be refunded FCFA 40 million after the deal.

She told the court that the men forced her to take an oath, using salt and water, not to reveal the secret else she would go mad and die. She said she was threatened with knives when she hesitated.Between March 15 and 19, 2004, Jovita revealed, Ali collected FCFA 20 million from her at the counter of 1st Trust Bank Kumba.

She said on March 19, Ali called her over the phone and congratulated her on her courage, stating that the deal could not work and the money was lost. "It was at this juncture that I realised I had been duped," she wept. She was arrested a few days later.

The cashier was still on training before the incident occurred. She was earning FCFA 75,000 and Kumba was her second station after Bamenda.Out of the four conmen, only Nwafor was arrested, and is standing as the second accused.

The Post learnt that the other suspects escaped from police custody have not been found.The judge, Emmanuel Mbando Ngoe, adjourned the matter to April 24, for the judgment of the 1st accused.Barrister Ntuba Mboe is counsel for the second accused.

Comments

[Akoson]

Wonders shall never end!

It's good news Nwafor, one of the feymen was arrested. He'll pay for the others if they're not caught.

Ladies always have a chicken heart. The accountant too must be punished but I'll be glad should the judge reduce her sentence since she's remouresful. Cameroonians'll never learn. These things keep happening daily.

Let the law enforcement officers fight hard to stamp out this nonsense. But what should innocent Cameroonians do when a feyman takes 20 million and gives a commisioner 10 million to shot-up. That country's rotten from Biya to the last man on the streets. We need a total clean-up. Maybe a Southern Cameroon free state's the solution - cutting of from La republic - a rotten French system. Nonsense!

Thinking-twisted forehead, Son Of Ako - LSE.

[atumche]

How did the other suspects escape from police costody?The commissioner of police and all those on duty on that day should also appear in court.They must have a hand in this deal.

[N G Tebeck]

The police let the other conmen to escap eafter recieving money from them. The magistrate should ask those bandits called police to produce those conmen.The police in cameroon is a disgrace tto the name police and to the Cameroonian nation for their aggraviated practice of corruption.
Shame to the police

[Akoson]

Fellow Countrymen/women,

The National Chairman of the Southern Cameroons Youth League(SCYL), Akwanga
Ebenezer Mbongo arrived Washington yesterday alongside 23 other SCYL
activists. Alongside the Chairman was Justice Frederick Alobwede Ebong.

Background

Chairman Akwanga was arrested in Jakiri on the 24th March 1997 and whisked
to Yaounde La Republique du Cameroun where he was detained alongside over
300 SCYL/SCNC activists. He was rescued in July 2003 and moved over to
Nigeria. All attempts by the SCYL to get his delegation over to Belgium was
futile. The Belgian Foreign Ministry complained of the size of the
delegation and weeks of negotiation was unsuccessful. On the other hand the
Nigerian government rejected any claim of asylum sighting its neutrality in
the conflict between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.
In 2004, the UN started resettlement effort in the USA and Scandanavian
countries.

We are thankful to all who showed continous support to the delegation in
Abuja, especially Dr. Martin Ayim, Peter Terfolac and the entire SCYL
family.

The SCYL wish to note that all those who have tried to brandish its
leadership as terrorist will come to the conclusion that resistance to the
brutal policies of La Republique du Cameroun using arms is a legitimate
right.This position is well explained on the SCYL website and it was
clarified during the resettlement talks with the UN and US counterparts.
This right we will intensify and the Chairmans relocation should send a
strong message to all those who continue to occupy our land that their days
of unchallenge occupation has come to an end.

Son Of Ako - LSE

[Billy Nso]

Brothers and Sisters,

Back to Jovita, I strongly believe that Jovita is not alone in the bank who should be locked up. His Manager should be locked up. In all banks, they have daily reconciliations, which ought to have caught the first missing moneys. Jovita can not keep cash in drawers for more than one day if there are good controls in place.

The state counsel should look into the case and bring all parties to answer to the crime. She should not be the fall guy alone.

For the con men, we all know that this guys dont have hearts, they live on others sweat and the commisioners are more friendly to them than the honest men.

Billy

[mohesieh]

Jovita, your story is a mirror reflection of the degrading Cameroon of today.Cheap get rich quick tendency upheld by both parties, the corrupt public security force that quite often act worse than the bandits themselves,poor management system of the bank if they themselves are not part of the failed deal. Well we are a country of law let the justice meadeer it's course.We must accept pain before gain and sweat before sweet. If you want it so easy ,sorry the fraudsters and conmem will prove the lesson right for you .I hope Jovita and other victims got the algebra straight.

[rexon]

Financial system development precedes a economic development. In the very corrupt society of la republique du cameroun, the financial system cannot function properly, hence there is no need to emphasise the need for economic development. La republique francaise du cameroun, do tackle your very corrupt values before thinking of financial and economic development.

[Awa Didier]

What i will suggest is that since some of these fay men ran out from the police, then the police should replace these faymen who escaped.

[loveliest]

What i will suggest is that since some of these fay men ran out from the police, then the police should replace these faymen who escaped.
Police in cameroon are themselve feymen. Those in duty the day the two conmen escape must be question by the court.
Police are disgrace to Cameroon and shame to the person who installed these thieves in the name of police.

[A. Che Mofor]

Stupid cashier!!

If her story is true, she would have understood along the line that the whole issue was a deal. That is Kumba! How could all the men force her to take an oath when one of them initially seemed to be a passenger and the other was only a driver? It means there were working together. I am born and bread in Hauser Quarters. Only new people in town will attempt doing any business that concerns much money in that place. Almost every body there is feyman and every body is aware of feymania. Only JJC's from Bamenda like her can quickly fall victim.

[Tway]

I believe when the story was told to Jovita about the money, she immediately thought spend the money, like: having a nice car, build a good house ect, without thinking about the story of the money and the personality, out look of the people talking about 40m in a local taxi in kumba, and since her mind was already set in that manner, know one could stop her, irrespective of the oath taken and she never thought of any danger of get the money, but look at how life we change for her just in one good blessed day, and the is what always happen to weak mind and money eyes. Everyone can be a victim. If you like cheap money, especially girl’s. Let my brother Nowfor be free and those who set him-up be ashame.For jovita, it will save her right for wanting more then you can earn.

[Tway]

I believe when the story was told to Jovita about the money, she immediately thought spend the money, like: having a nice car, build a good house ect, without thinking about the story of the money and the personality, out look of the people talking about 40m in a local taxi in kumba, and since her mind was already set in that manner, know one could stop her, irrespective of the oath taken and she never thought of any danger of get the money, but look at how life we change for her just in one good blessed day, and the is what always happen to weak mind and money eyes. Everyone can be a victim. If you like cheap money, especially girl’s. Let my brother Nwafor be free and those who set him-up be ashame.For jovita, it will save her right for wanting more then you can earn.