The 730pm News of July 19, 2023 on CRTV
Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:15 Cameroon has featured on the danger list of countries with high waves of terrorism funding schemes and money laundering that drains a hundred billion CFA francs each year.
00:25 The 730 edition tonight examines how the illicit financial transactions tear the country apart.
00:32 127 land titles issued to occupants at the Lube Iron Oil Mining Site in Kribi have been annulled.
00:38 What are the implications of the decision signed by the State Property Minister, Henri Abiaisi?
00:44 The 730 edition has been finding out.
00:46 Plus, Cameroonians and the diaspora gather in London to pay homage to the ex-politician and Social Democratic Front SDF Chairman, Nijan Funde.
00:55 They equivocally describe him as a hero and democrat Cameroon will live to remember.
01:00 We take you to Britain for details and those are top stories.
01:04 Good evening and thanks for joining us on this edition of the 730 News Live in Studio 5. I'm Gladys Tata.
01:10 Cameroon is one on the danger list of countries involved in money laundering. Criminal financial over a hundred billion CFA is lost each year.
01:20 The act has caused so much prejudices and damages to the economy and daily lives of Cameroonians.
01:27 Kylian Dundee has been sizing up the dangers of money laundering and reports that the phenomenon also manifested through terrorism funding is tearing Cameroon apart.
01:37 Money laundering is not counterfeiting. It is a completely different national and international criminal phenomenon.
01:46 Money laundering in simple words is washing money. That's making dirty money to become clean.
01:51 I take a simple example. Somebody who receives a bribe from his office, 100 to 200 million.
01:58 He cannot deposit that money in his account in one buck because investigations will be open.
02:04 So he decides to deposit 5 million every 2-3 days, 5 million in his account. At the end, the 200 million is in his account and he can withdraw it as legal money and operate.
02:13 Though an underground activity, there are suggestive visible signs of money laundering. Real estate stands out.
02:20 There are huge construction sites whose source of income you cannot explain.
02:28 From illicit sources, you can build a house. You put the house on rent and rents are paid into your account or you collect the proceeds of rent.
02:38 Proceeds of rent is clean money.
02:41 Money laundering pushes no charge transactions are umbrella channels and maximizes their exploitation.
02:47 A church can collect offerings of a million francs and they go to the bank and deposit 200 million francs on the pretext that those are offerings of the day.
02:56 Meanwhile, the money in reality comes from a criminal source.
03:01 The forest sector is also a channel of money laundering traffic.
03:05 We also have elephant tusks that are sold in the black market and they find a way to put the money into normal circulation.
03:15 Enhancing of terrorism is one of the effects of money laundering or one of the consequences of money laundering.
03:22 The National Anti-Corruption Commission 2001 report shows that Cameroon lost 135 billion CFR to money laundering.
03:31 While according to the National Agency for Financial Investigation, ANIF, 1,869 billion CFR has gone to illicit capital flight.
03:42 While Cameroon grapples with rising trends in money laundering, the phenomenon is known to have devastating effects on the economy.
03:50 From promoting financial crimes, depleting resources meant for investment to threatening economic stability, the impact of money laundering on growth is devastating.
04:00 What are some of the consequences of the phenomenon on Cameroon's financial credibility?
04:04 Clarice Arit Takang has been finding out.
04:08 Money laundering has never been good for a country's economic credibility and financial stability. Experts agree.
04:16 It gives the perception that the country is not serious in terms of its management dispositions and structure.
04:22 Historically, it gives this bad image that the country is not reputed for investors to eventually come in.
04:29 The threat to social stability, when there are different factors which threaten peace, like arms flows, the danger is on the population.
04:42 Depriving the state coffers of much needed resources spells trouble for growth.
04:47 Furthermore, disguising ill-gotten wealth and channeling the funds to other illicit activities such as terrorism financing is not without consequences for the socio-economic strength of the country.
04:58 The threat to Cameroon's dealings with bilateral and multilateral partners is real.
05:03 There is equally damage to financial sector institutions to worry about.
05:07 It helps to, first of all, dwindle the very little resources that we have because the projects that we have are usually beyond and above the available resources.
05:18 So if the resources are always lesser than what we need, what we want, then there is a problem if it is not well managed.
05:26 Fighting money laundering is a global and crucial challenge as the effects on development are telling.
05:32 Reporting suspicious financial activity should therefore be non-negotiable, economists insist.
05:38 Cameroon is actively working with the Global Money Laundering Watchdog Finance Action Task Force, FATF, to counter the ill.
05:48 The country has committed to swiftly resolve identified deficiencies in combating proliferation financing by 2025 as recommended by FATF.
05:57 Details with Beatrice Ngone.
06:00 Cameroon is on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force.
06:05 The grey list consists of countries also known as jurisdictions placed under increased monitoring by the Financial Action Task Force and which have agreed to tackle their anti-money laundering deficiencies.
06:19 The task now is to mobilize all the competent authorities so that the corrective measures set out by the Financial Action Task Force in its action plan which runs until September 2025 are implemented as a matter of urgency.
06:33 The Financial Action Task Force has prescribed a plan of action for Cameroon to follow which includes setting up a committee in charge of coordinating the national policy for the fight against money laundering and sponsoring terrorism in non-financial professions like gambling services, insurance companies, legal services and other institutions through which money laundering can occur.
07:00 Creation and operationalization of the National Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Policy Coordination Committee.
07:07 Strengthening international judicial cooperation in the management of money laundering and terrorist financing cases.
07:14 Setting up operational money laundering and terror financing supervisory mechanisms for non-financial professions.
07:22 Cameroon can join the countries that have been removed from the process by carrying out reforms that address the anti-money laundering and terrorist financing weaknesses.
07:33 Land titles issued by the Ocean Divisional Delegate of State Property Surveys and Land Tenure to some presumed occupants of land at the Lobe Iron Ore Mining Site in Kribi have been annulled.
07:46 The cancellation is contained in a July 2023 decision of the Minister of State Property Surveys and Land Tenure, Henri Abeyisi.
07:54 Larrice Nane reported through the decision and what the National Bilingual Daily Cameroon Tribune reported and tells us more.
08:02 Since the Lobe Iron Ore Mining Project in Kribi was announced, many rushed to acquire plots of lands on fraudulent land deeds with intentions to benefit from compensation from government upon expropriation within the framework of the project.
08:18 On July 10, 2023, the Minister of State Property, Henri Abeyisi, in a ministerial decision announced the cancellation of 127 land titles issued to individuals on the site hosting the Lobe Iron Ore Project in Kribi.
08:35 According to the Minister, these issued land titles have undergone scrutiny and they carried out full information which needs to be investigated.
08:44 He equally indicated that direct registration procedures requested on the same site in valuation of regulatory provision are definitively suspended.
08:54 According to the decision, this will help government save money and avoid another compensation scandal after the last involving the Kribi Deep Seaport Project.
09:04 The Lobe Iron Ore Project led by the Chinese Sino Steel Coal Estates covers 138 km of land space and has a potential of 632 million tonnes of ore containing about 33% of iron.
09:19 The project is expected to produce 10 million tonnes of ore with 33% iron content annually for 50 years.
09:30 The Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers from Africa who are currently in Yaoundé for their 18th conference have been treated to a special dinner at the Hotel Hilton.
09:40 The dinner presided by the Prime Minister of Government Joseph John Guthie last night was another opportunity for both parties to celebrate strides made towards the attainment of the AU Agenda 2063.
09:52 Christian Atom tells us more.
09:54 From the fanfare of the conference centre to the quiet of the Yaoundé Hilton, the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers discovered another facet of Cameroon's hospitality during the special dinner organised to their honour on behalf of the Head of State.
10:12 In the distinguished presence of Prime Minister of Government Joseph John Guthie, their eyes had much to see and their ears even more to hear as the Yubi Choir did the beats and the flow.
10:35 It was in this cosy atmosphere that the Prime Minister made his toast. Joseph John Guthie saluted the momentum of cooperation within the Commonwealth.
10:45 The various initiatives in the fields of technical, cultural, economic and political cooperation are in my opinion a perfect illustration of this fruitful relationship.
11:02 To inter-African cooperation.
11:09 The reply came from the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana.
11:13 To the good health of our President. To the good health of the Prime Minister. To the good health of all of us.
11:25 Between Cameroon's cuisine and the country's music, the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers had much to taste and appreciate.
11:34 We are here to settle on the 18th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth Africa Region who are in full gear with the participants from 21 countries involved in plenaries that address the pillars of the African Union's Agenda 2063.
11:51 In two separate plenaries, the legislators deliberated on the devastating effects of climate change and the slow implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. Esther Kima has details of the debates.
12:05 The global climate change challenge is huge and for Africa the least responsible for mutations and hazards, the Speakers and Presiding Officers consent to an environmentally sustainable economy.
12:18 We need to be more proactive in terms of our oversight. We need to ensure that the budgets that we appropriate through the different legislatures, making sure that the budgets go to the respective areas for climate change.
12:31 Taking urgent action to protect terrestrial ecosystems is required.
12:36 The weather has burned the plastic bags. These kind of plastic carry bags are not good for the environment. They are not only for the environment but also they destroy our soil.
12:49 On the African Continental Free Trade Area, creating a single market with a population of about 1.3 billion people, its implementation is a bother.
12:59 The road to economic independence starts with us being able to produce and consume for ourselves.
13:07 In Africa trade, when you look at the billions we are donating to other countries in the form of logistics, we are being used just as a route to deliver raw materials.
13:19 Some examples are worth emulating.
13:21 It's probably only Nigeria that has already had a standing committee called the Africa Committee on Africa Integration and Cooperation which has been on board for the past eight years.
13:34 One of its primary mandates is to ensure the fulfillment of this particular treaty we are talking about.
13:42 African parliaments are those required to desist from shielding their competency and the agents of complementarity rather than contenders.
13:51 The European Union has signed three conventions worth 40 billion sefi francs to support Cameroon in ensuring food security, addressing climate change and promoting civil society sustainability projects.
14:04 The Minister of the Economy, Alain Minousman, may sign for Cameroon while the EU was represented by its head of delegation to Cameroon, Philippe Van Damme.
14:12 We have details with Juliana Befoel.
14:15 Cameroon and the European Union have embarked on a common journey towards development in Cameroon.
14:21 The two parties made a move during the second economic and technical dialogue session where discussions centered on common challenges faced by Cameroon.
14:31 There were also a couple of other challenges linked to the conflicts in the north-west, south-west and the extreme north and how we can together help design economic responses to these challenges.
14:42 The session, chaired by Alain Minousman, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, coordinator of the Cameroon-EU cooperation, wrapped up with the signing of three funding agreements worth over 40 billion sefi francs.
14:58 One in support of civil society and vulnerable groups in conflict zones, north-west, south-west.
15:05 One focusing more on the sustainable development and third one in response precisely to the food security crisis.
15:14 Relations between the European Union and Cameroon go back several decades.
15:18 The session equally gave the opportunity to Minister Alain Minousman to express gratitude to the EU for their support in making Cameroon work the path of emergence by 2035.
15:29 The ten regional governors have been told to continue with measures taken together with the forces of law and order to eradicate drug trafficking in schools.
15:39 This is one of the instructions given to governors by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paula Tanganyi, as he closed the first biannual conference of regional governors for 2023 in Yaoundé.
15:51 Ebenezer Akanga reports on the outcome of the conference.
15:55 The conference of governors provided a forum to discuss major issues of national life a few weeks to the start of a new academic year.
16:06 Closing the conference, which focused on securing school establishments from drug trafficking, the Minister of Territorial Administration instructed the governors to continue with measures taken together with the forces of law and order to fight against juvenile delinquency and drug trafficking on and around school campuses.
16:26 Paula Tanganyi told the governors to encourage administrative staff and teachers to systematically denounce any suspicious individuals around their school campuses.
16:37 The Minister also instructed the governors to ensure the application of measures taken to preserve peace throughout the national territory.
16:46 He handed directives of the head of state to the governors, some of which are protection of people and their properties, follow-up of activities of political parties, associations and non-governmental organizations,
17:00 vigorous fight against hate speech, xenophobia and tribalism, fight against illicit drugs, fight against urban disorder, strict respect of rules governing the designation of traditional rulers, and ensure respect of state authority.
17:19 Earlier, the governor of the North Region, Jean Abateidi, and that of the South, Felix Ngelengeli, were decorated with the medal of Grand Officer of the Order of Valour.
17:33 On to this rather sad event. Two people have died in a landslide at Opamawo neighbourhood in Limbe, South West Region, following heavy rains of Tuesday night breaking Wednesday this morning.
17:45 The incident has left residents in a state of shock, as Ombosu Zii Monjowa tells us from CRTV South West in Boya.
17:55 The two occupants of this apartment in the Opamawo neighbourhood in Limbe slept last night, never to wake up.
18:04 Kaba Emil and his friend, Kumso Lovett, were buried in the debris of a landslide that filled their apartment early this Wednesday morning following heavy rains.
18:16 My husband first woke up, I said come, around 6 o'clock we woke up.
18:20 The landlady recounts that she and her husband woke up to the horrifying sight of their tenant's apartment and quickly alerted the neighbours.
18:31 The only way we could access his apartment was to break down some walls.
18:37 When we entered, we removed the ground, we removed the ground, we removed the ground and we found his friend. We continued digging, digging, digging, we moved out of the ground.
18:46 At the end of the day we met the tenant, the guy who rented the apartment, dead also.
18:52 Residents have been instructed by local authorities to evacuate the area so as to avoid further casualties.
19:00 Meanwhile, the corpses have been taken to the Limbe Regional Hospital mortuary.
19:05 Last night's rains also resulted to floods in many neighbourhoods in Limbe.
19:13 The Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Saadi, has asked the new Director General of the National Printing Press to make it modern, fully functional and competitive.
19:24 Oyono Biko Pierre Nolaske, appointed Director General of the National Printing Press last June 19,
19:30 my Presidential Decree was officially installed into its functions today by Communication Minister as we hear this report with Faith Nguang.
19:48 Giving the National Printing Press a facelift, making it fully functional and competitive are the missions that henceforth repose on the shoulders of the newly installed Director General of the Enterprise.
20:01 I talked about the state of things and gave some orientations to the new Director General.
20:08 The National Printing Press needs to be restructured. The most important thing is the rehabilitation of the infrastructure and of the equipment.
20:20 The National Printing Press, being a strategic organization in the functioning of public administrations,
20:26 the Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Saadi, urged Oyono Biko Pierre Nolaske to fix internal problems within the enterprise,
20:34 like non-payment of workers' salaries and acquire up-to-date printing equipment to enable the organization achieve its primary objectives.
20:42 The ceremony was attended by a handful of officials.
20:46 We apologize for the images there that were not really clear.
20:52 A delegation of 60 senior military officers on training at the International War College of Cameroon in Simbuk, Yaoundé,
20:59 have been drilled on techniques of production of broadcast of audiovisual content on CRTV radio and television.
21:06 This was during a working visit to CRTV of trainees under the supervision of Brigadier General Nkavale, commander of the institution.
21:14 The delegation was received at the CRTV by the Central Director for Television, Ibrahim Sherif, on behalf of the Director General of the Corporation.
21:22 Elvis Teke tells us more.
21:26 The 18th batch of trainees at the International War College of Cameroon in Simbuk, Yaoundé, began at the CRTV Production Center at Mbala II in Yaoundé.
21:38 The delegation was composed of 60 senior military officers from 26 countries, including Cameroon.
21:45 They were given a guided tour of CRTV transmission and broadcast equipment,
21:50 as well as the TV production studios, before having a working session with officials of the television under the supervision of the Central Director for Television, Ibrahim Sherif, representing the Director General of the Corporation.
22:05 The delegation, led by Brigadier General Nkavale, commander of the War College, proceeded to the National Radio Station in Lomkak, Yaoundé,
22:16 where they were explained the workings of the radio house.
22:20 The visit comes 10 months and a half after training as part of courses offered at the War College.
22:28 Our visit to the CRTV today has given us the opportunity to really appreciate how a media establishment like this is organized and how it operates.
22:38 The knowledge will, of course, be of great use to us during our study at the college and thereafter.
22:44 Discussions between the visiting delegation from the War College and officials of the Cameroon Radio Television focused on the theme, "Synergy between the media and the defense forces."
22:57 The visiting delegation of military officers also visited the International Broadcasting Center of the CRTV with its ultra-modern equipment.
23:06 An operation by security forces to free the town of Betari Oya from men of the underworld has led to the seizure of several dozens of illicit weapons.
23:17 The operation, commanded by the Central State in charge of the National Gendarmerie, was piloted by the East Gendarmerie Legion Commander Kenjichou Sani-Ile, Biki Ongun.
23:28 From the East Region, we have one of our correspondents with the report.
23:33 With the continuous increase in burglary and criminality in the East Region, the Secretary of State at the National Gendarmerie and the East Gendarmerie Legion went on a deep excavation visit to the village of Zembe Borongo in the Betari Oya subdivision with the objective of maintaining peace and security in rural areas.
23:54 We went on the field to send a message to those highway robbers that we don't have to sleep until they are surrounded. They have to put down their guns. They have to change their behavior. We are a republic and in a republic, laws are supposed to be obeyed.
24:13 Since the launch of this special security operation in rural areas, authorities say they can now sleep with their eyes closed.
24:20 This month, we have had just one case of burglary. The last burglary was during the Feast of Tabaski and since then, we haven't had any other case.
24:30 As the forces of law and order continue to fight against criminality in rural areas, they are calling on the population to collaborate with them.
24:39 That was Biki Ongun reporting from CRTV East in Bertoa. The life of Cameroon's ace politician and leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front Party, Nijon Fundi, who died recently, has been celebrated in Manchester, United Kingdom.
24:55 Hundreds of Cameroonians and the diaspora attended the ceremony organized by Fundi's family ahead of his burial later this month in Cameroon. Evelyn Ngange gathered the reactions of the Cameroonians after the funeral event. Let's listen.
25:10 Very emotional moment from Jennifer as she shares the father's final hours on this earth. The joy to celebrate the life of the one who made history in Cameroon.
25:32 The services of Cameroon will forever be remembered as an important part of our country's history.
25:42 It all started by church service, a thanksgiving service for Nijon Fundi who had a very peculiar destiny.
25:52 His philosophy in politics was, "Let's argue, let's sit down and talk."
26:00 From the world of exhortation, we learned that the chairman was standing on a solid rock that is Christ.
26:10 Many refer to him as the man, the myth, and the legend. For by his courage and determination, he ushered in political pluralism in Cameroon.
26:26 Once more, sorry for those very poor images again.
26:32 About 50,000 Jehovah's Witnesses from seven regions of the country are expected in Yaoundé for the original assembly that begins on Friday, July 21st.
26:42 The spiritual encounter will unfold under the theme, "Exercise Patience." Juliana Befolo reports.
26:48 It's not a preparation ahead of a football game. These persons are volunteers coming from different Jehovah's Witness assemblies from all over Cameroon.
26:58 They have come to clean the Olympia Stadium ahead of the general assembly. As per the theme, "Exercise Patience," the Christians will be edified on patience in different domains of life and also receive the sacrament of baptism.
27:12 Those who were invited to this original assembly will be spiritually fit. We have talked about, teach about patience, how we can be patient with family members, how we can be patient in our workplace and with our neighborhood.
27:28 And we see how we can be patient with ourselves. And also, we'll be patient when we pray God. Apart from the teaching, we are also going to baptize about 800 people.
27:40 From decoration, sweeping, painting and mopping of the floor, the sound and video equipment is also being checked to be operational on the D-Day.
27:48 The equipment are almost ready and set for Friday. So we have around one and a half day again for our test. But right now, we are in the final step of installation and the fine tunings.
28:00 As it is often said, many hands do lighter work. They all look forward to a successful general assembly.
28:07 Manuela and Linda Elundu, the twin sisters who were granted government scholarships to study abroad and play tennis, have thanked the head of state for the gesture.
28:18 The youngsters who are now taking university programs in the United States say it is thanks to assistance that enabled them to develop their sport.
28:26 They were speaking while visiting the National Olympic and Sports Committee. As you tell us, Daniel Ikunde.
28:32 Manuela and Linda Elundu are twin tennis players who benefited from government support to study and play their sport in the United States in 2021.
28:43 They have now come to Cameroon to thank the head of state, Paul Beer, for the study aid.
28:49 Before this Thursday's gratitude ceremony, they met Labour and Social Security Minister Grigoire Owona, who is the first vice president of the Cameroon National Olympic and Sports Committee.
29:01 We are also here to thank the president, Paul Beer, for everything he has done for the youth of Earth, mostly my sister and I.
29:10 So he's been supporting us since, like, I don't know when. So thank you for the president for always helping us.
29:17 And that's why we're having a ceremony to thank him for everything he has done for us.
29:23 The appreciation event is this Thursday, July 20, at the Young Tennis Club.
29:31 That does it on this edition of the 7.30 News. Thanks for watching. Join Adam Balla at 8.30 for the news. I'll be back same time tomorrow at 7.30. Bye for now.
29:40 I'm.
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