Ex-Cameroon Minister Arrested In Nigeria, Extradited Home

Cameroon’s former water and energy minister was arrested in
Nigeria and flown home on Thursday, a police source and local media
said, amid a crackdown on high-level corruption, Police source.

Basile Kouna was removed from his ministerial position during
President Paul Biya’s March 2 cabinet reshuffle.

In February, he was ordered not to leave the country.

“Atangana Kouna is in Cameroon. He was arrested in Nigeria and
sent back to Cameroon.

“He arrived this evening,” one police source, who asked not to
be named as he was not authorised to speak to
the press, told Reuters.

Vision 4, a private television channel considered allied to
Biya, reported that the former minister arrived at
the international airport in the capital Yaounde at 6:20 pm (1720
GMT) escorted by police officers.

Another channel, Canal 2 International, also reported his arrest
in Nigeria and subsequent extradition back to
Cameroon.

Cameroon’s government spokesman was not immediately reachable
for comment.

Neither were officials in neighbouring Nigeria.

It was not clear what charges Atangana Kouna was facing, but
there was speculation on Thursday that he was arrested
as part of an anti-corruption drive known as Operation
Sparrowhawk.

A former Ministry of Public Works official, the head of a state
company, and the ex-rector of the University of
Douala, were arrested as part of the operation on Monday.

Cameroon’s oil wealth has spawned a sprawling political
patronage system fueled by revenues from crude exports.

Transparency International ranked it 153 out of 180 countries on
its annual corruption perceptions index.

Biya has ruled virtually by decree since taking over from a
retiring predecessor in 1982 and then winning an
election with 99.98 per cent of the vote a year later.

Now 85, Biya is expected to again seek re-election in
presidential polls later in the year, but he is currently
facing some of the biggest challenges to his 35-year rule.

Cameroon’s oil-dependent economy has been crippled by low crude
prices.

And separatists are mounting a guerrilla campaign in the
country’s two English-speaking provinces,
demanding independence from the majority Francophone Central
African nation.

Cameroon’s former water and energy minister was arrested in
Nigeria and flown home on Thursday, a police source and local media
said, amid a crackdown on high-level corruption, Police
source.

Basile Kouna was removed from his ministerial position during
President Paul Biya’s March 2 cabinet reshuffle.

In February, he was ordered not to leave the country.

“Atangana Kouna is in Cameroon. He was arrested in Nigeria and
sent back to Cameroon.

“He arrived this evening,” one police source, who asked not to
be named as he was not authorised to speak to
the press, told Reuters.

Vision 4, a private television channel considered allied to
Biya, reported that the former minister arrived at
the international airport in the capital Yaounde at 6:20 pm (1720
GMT) escorted by police officers.

Another channel, Canal 2 International, also reported his arrest
in Nigeria and subsequent extradition back to
Cameroon.

Cameroon’s government spokesman was not immediately reachable
for comment.

Neither were officials in neighbouring Nigeria.

It was not clear what charges Atangana Kouna was facing, but
there was speculation on Thursday that he was arrested
as part of an anti-corruption drive known as Operation
Sparrowhawk.

A former Ministry of Public Works official, the head of a state
company, and the ex-rector of the University of
Douala, were arrested as part of the operation on Monday.

Cameroon’s oil wealth has spawned a sprawling political
patronage system fueled by revenues from crude exports.

Transparency International ranked it 153 out of 180 countries on
its annual corruption perceptions index.

Biya has ruled virtually by decree since taking over from a
retiring predecessor in 1982 and then winning an
election with 99.98 per cent of the vote a year later.

Now 85, Biya is expected to again seek re-election in
presidential polls later in the year, but he is currently
facing some of the biggest challenges to his 35-year rule.

Cameroon’s oil-dependent economy has been crippled by low crude
prices.

And separatists are mounting a guerrilla campaign in the
country’s two English-speaking provinces,
demanding independence from the majority Francophone Central
African nation.