CORRUPTION: CAMEROON SUBMITS MUTUAL LEGAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L YAOUNDE 001236 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/C AND AF/C LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS PRETORIA FOR DHS/ICE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017 TAGS: KCOR PREL PGOV CM SUBJECT: CORRUPTION: CAMEROON SUBMITS MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST REF: A. YAOUNDE 1068 ¶B. YAOUNDE 1235 Classified By: Poloff Tad Brown for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary. Cameroon's Minister for Justice has signed a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request asking the USG to provide information from USG records and American institutions relevant to corrupt acts committed by Cameroonian officials. We anticipate that USG officials will identify a number of critical shortcomings in the MLA, but even this imperfect document represents substantial progress over the last two months, when Ali last suggested that the USG "just give" him the information. End summary. ¶2. (C) In a September 12 meeting with Francis Dooh Collins, the Government of Cameroon's (GRC) designated interlocutor to discuss anti-corruption investigations with foreign governments (ref b),Poloff repeated to Dooh Collins the guidance provided to Ali (ref a),that USG agencies required a formal mutual legal assistance (MLA) request from the GRC in order to move forward with and provide any information gleaned from investigations. Poloff also provided Dooh Collins with an electronic copy of the MLA format. ¶3. (C) Dooh Collins returned to the Embassy on September 24 to share with Poloff an initial French draft of an MLA request. Poloff conveyed to Dooh Collins that USG agencies in Washington had offered to review a draft version of the MLA and provide informal feedback to the GRC in order to address any shortcomings before the GRC formally submitted the request. Nevertheless, Dooh Collins delivered to the Embassy on October 5 two copies of an MLA request signed by Minister Ali, one for Post and one for Washington, which post has sent through the classified pouch to Diane Kohn in INL/C. When Poloff explained, in an October 10 meeting with Dooh Collins, that the MLA was likely to need revision before being accepted by Washington, Dooh Collins committed to send an electronic copy to Poloff for onward transmission to Washington for agency review and feedback. ¶4. (C) Comment. We anticipate that USG officials will identify a number of critical shortcomings in the current MLA, but even this imperfect document represents substantial progress over the last two months, when Ali last suggested that the USG "just give" him the information. Charge will meet this week with the COMs from other diplomatic missions (UK, Canada, Italy, Netherlands) who have been approached by the GRC to discuss a common position moving forward. End comment. NELSON