CAMEROON'S ANIF DIRECTOR DISCUSSES TERRORIST

S E C R E T YAOUNDE 000366 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE ALSO FOR EEB/ESC/TFS TREASURY FOR FINCEN TREASURY FOR AI DERICK POLITZER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018 TAGS: CM EFIN ETTC PGOV PREL PTER KTFN SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S ANIF DIRECTOR DISCUSSES TERRORIST FINANCE AND CORRUPTION REF: A. SECSTATE 34888 ¶B. YAOUNDE 313 (NOTAL) ¶C. YAOUNDE 272 Classified By: Political Officer Tad Brown for Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (S) Summary: In an April 11 meeting with Poloff, Hubert Nde Sambone, Director of Cameroon's National Agency for Financial Investigations (ANIF),welcomed Washington's response (ref a) to ANIF's request for more information regarding financial transfers from the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) headquarters in Kuwait to an organization in Cameroon (ref c). Sambone further promised to keep the USG abreast of the Government of Cameroon's (GRC) ongoing investigations into the Cameroonian recipient. Turning to domestic corruption, Sambone expressed fear that recent high-profile arrests (ref b) were driven by political factors and that powerful corrupt networks within the GRC threatened ANIF, whistle-blowers and Cameroon's stability. Sambone flagged trade-based money laundering as a pervasive problem in Cameroon. Both Sambone and Post welcome engagement from FINCEN, EEB and other Washington agencies. End summary. ¶2. (S) Poloff conveyed ref A talking points to Hubert Nde Sambone, the Director of Cameroon's National Agency for Financial Investigations (ANIF),during an April 11 meeting. Sambone appreciated the encouraging words from Washington and said ANIF did not yet have further information despite ongoing investigations. Sambone said that ANIF had contacted the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire (an intelligence unit in the national police that monitors individuals who threaten national security and stability) and legal officials in Foumban, where the Organization de Bienfaisance pour le Developpement Social et Culturelle du Cameroun (OBDSCC) is located. Sambone said the GRC had identified the leaders of OBDSCC (none of whom was already known by the GRC as an individual of concern) so that local legal officials and the DST can question them. ¶3. (SBU) Sambone warmly welcomed the proposed visits later this year (dates not yet certain) by ANIF to Washington and by officials of the U.S. Department of Treasury's FINCEN for dialogue with ANIF. Sambone expressed optimism that this visit would help "begin the cooperation with the U.S. Government that we so desire." Poloff briefed Sambone on the content and background of Presidential Proclamation 7750 and the concomitant visa ineligibility. ¶4. (C) Addressing recent high-profile anti-corruption arrests (based on files compiled by ANIF),Sambone expressed concern that the motivation for the arrests was more politics than law enforcement. Sambone said Cameroon's political leadership was so corrupt that most powerful figures sought to frustrate ANIF's efforts, and he worried that some individuals would be willing to foment instability in order to derail anti-corruption prosecutions. Sambone said his own and ANIF's security had been bolstered, but that he was most worried for ANIF's "collaborators" in the banks, who were coming under increasing pressure for their cooperation with ANIF. Sambone said one bank official had fled to France out of concern for his safety in Cameroon. ¶5. (C) Sambone said that trade-based money laundering was rampant in Cameroon, especially among senior officials secreting money out of Cameroon to Europe. The crime is SIPDIS evident, according to Sambone, in the discrepancy between the funds that Cameroonian-based entities report they are shifting to Europe in order to import products and the value of those products that actually arrive in Cameroon. Sambone said ANIF had completed about ten dossiers presenting evidence of trade-based money laundering, including one of a French company with "hundreds of billions of CFA" (hundreds of millions of dollars) worth of suspicious accounting. ¶6. (C) Comment: With a degree of professionalism and discretion that is rare in GRC agencies, Sambone and ANIF continue to impress. We share Sambone's fear that powerful networks of corruption pose a real threat to ANIF and others who seek to enforce Cameroonian law. Post greatly appreciates the continued interest and engagement from FINCEN, EEB and others. NELSON