CAMEROON: 212F HELPS GRC DETAIN CORRUPT OFFICIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L YAOUNDE 000449

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO FOR INL/C AND AF/C

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2018
TAGS: KCOR CVIS PREL ECON CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON: 212F HELPS GRC DETAIN CORRUPT OFFICIAL

REF: YAOUNDE 427 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Political Officer Tad Brown for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (U) Paragraph 6 of this message contains an Action
Request for INL/C.


2. (U) Cameroonian police detained Zachaeus Mungwe
Forjindam on May 7, the same day he was replaced as General
Manager of the parastatal Cameroon Shipyard. Forjindam's
arrest has been greeted by Cameroonian press reports as
evidence that President Biya's anti-corruption campaign
(nicknamed "Operation Epervier" or Operation Sparrowhawk) is
continuing to net senior officials and members of Biya's
ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
(CPDM).


3. (C) On April 30, Embassy Yaounde transmitted reftel
VISAS DONKEY Security Advisory Opinion to Washington asking
that Forjindam and his wife be found ineligible under section
212f of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Reftel included
information obtained from, inter alia, Cameroon's Ministry of
Justice indicating that Government of Cameroon (GRC) audits
showed Forjindam embezzled about $2.3 million while he headed
the Cameroon Shipyard.


4. (C) A GRC magistrate familiar with the dossier told
Poloff May 8 that Forjindam had been detained and would,
within days, appear in court to answer charges related to
that dossier. Minister of Justice and Vice Prime Minister
Amamdou Ali told Poloff on May 7 he believed Forjindam had
stolen much more than $2.3 million and that the GRC had
evidence that Forjindam maintained some of his stolen fortune
in accounts in the United Kingdom. According to Ali, the GRC
had given Forjindam a chance to avoid arrest by returning the
funds uncovered by the audit.


5. (C) Comment: We have not told the GRC about Forjindam's
visa application and refusal. The GRC continues to express
frustration with past cases in which suspects have fled
Cameroon to avoid prosecution. It is entirely plausible that
Forjindam and his wife would have sought refuge from justice
in the US (where two of their children reside) if we had not
refused their visas. Amid increasing calls for "western
nations" to address their own role in perpetuating corrupt
regimes, the 212f ineligibility is a valuable tool to advance
the USG's anti-corruption efforts, among our primary
objectives in Cameroon and easily the most welcome form of
cooperation from the perspective of both the GRC and the
Cameroonian street. End Comment.


6. (C) Action request: Post requests that Department
expedite its consideration of the Visas Donkey SAO. The
decision to detain Forjindam makes clearer than ever that a
finding of ineligibility would strengthen, not strain, our
relationship with the GRC. In Post's view, Forjindam's
detention should not preclude a determination of
ineligibility under 212f. Forjindam has a pending
application, has only been "detained" and could plausibly be
released for any number of reasons. Furthermore, as Post
indicated reftel, Forjindam's ineligibility will be necessary
in order to pursue findings of ineligibility against his wife
(application also pending),and his children (both of whom
possess current non-immigrant visas). End action request.
GARVEY