EbongNgolle& Charles Metouck awaited at TCS

Hon. EbongNgolle will have to defend his honorability

As Inoni and Mebara are expected at the Supreme Court Tuesday, so too will EbongNgolle, board chairman of SONARA, and Charles Metouck, former SONARA GM, will be bracing up to appear before the judge of the special criminal court, TCS.

                This is because the examining magistrate (Juged’instruction) of the TCS has closed her investigations into the Sonara embezzlement file and has submitted her findings to the judge for eventual hearing.

                It should be noted that Mrs. Annie NeêlleBahounouiBatendè, used the 18 months required by law to complete here investigation. The investigation was opened on 30 October 2015.

                By virtue of the investigation report, only six of the 12 persons initially concerned in the embezzlement allegation, were inculpated. It is these six persons that will have to face the criminal judge in the weeks ahead.

                But the principal accused in the matter is Charles Metouk, former Sonara GM, who is already serving a 15 year jail term following an earlier matter.

                Metouck will have to answer to charges of embezzling about 60bn fcfa from Sonara coffers between 2007 and 2010. This amount was arrived at following a control done by the following state auditors - Mrs. Kane Ebanga Fortune (now SG of the Consupe), Kadladak Pierre (now DG of Campost) and Ojong Martin Ewo.

                The audit report indicted Charles Metouck of financial, administrative and accounting irregularities in his management of Sonara.

                It noted especially that as GM of Sonara, Charles Metouck failed to respect the laid down code for the award of public contracts; he paid out money to administrators of the company in excess of what they were due; raised his salary by over 50% without prior authorization from the board; awarded himself excess and undue bonuses and advantages; falsified receipts; siphoned revenue accruing from the sale of crude oil; made payments for crude oil that was never supplied; double payments for contracts executed among other accusations. All these brought the money unaccounted for to about 39.4 billion Fcfa.

                As for John EbongNgolle, he was said to have signed out money in excess of what he was right due as board chairman of Sonara.

                The audit report inculpated EbongNgolle for signing undue payments as allowances for fuel, lodging, reception and security. The amount he reportedly unduly collected amounts to 113.6 million Fcfa.

Even though EbongNgolle presented resolutions of the board awarding him the amounts challenged, the examining magistrate dismissed the resolutions as unconvincing. Ebong will therefore have to defend himself in open court.

                It is worthy to note that EbongNgolle, Ibrahim TalbaMallaOumate, GwendoleneBurnleyEtonde and AoudouOumarou were absolved of another accusation of collectively collecting a total of 198 million fcfa in excess of what they were due as board members of Sonara.

                Other names cited in the Sonara embezzlement case are GodfredYenwoMolo (a retired worker of Sonara) and Jean Joule EdingueleEdinguele.