2024-07-03 18:29:41
An earthquake of corruption shakes the National Social Security Fund (CNPS) of Cameroon. Explosive revelations, reported exclusively by the whistleblower Boris Bertolthighlight a massive fraud system orchestrated at the highest level of the institution. At the center of this scandal: Hortense Assim, Director of Finance and Accounting (DFC), whose opaque management raises many questions.
A systemic fraud that is bleeding the state coffers
According to internal sources, no less than 30% of social benefit files are fraudulent. This large-scale scam is said to cost Cameroonian taxpayers millions of CFA francs each month. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Embezzlements estimated in hundreds of millions
An internal investigation, the preliminary results of which have been leaked, reveals the extent of the disaster. For the Foumban and Bamenda centres alone, the embezzled sums amount to more than 300 million FCFA over the period 2023-2024. A staggering figure that suggests the worst on a national scale.
Hortense Assim: the most powerful and controversial woman in the CNPS
At the heart of this system, Hortense Assim, the all-powerful DFC, reigns supreme. President of the “Project Committee”it extends its influence well beyond its prerogatives, interfering in all aspects of the management of the CNPS. This concentration of power raises serious questions about the governance of the institution.
A paralyzed internal control system
Even more worrying, the Audit and Internal Control Department (DACI) seems powerless in the face of the omnipotence of the DFC. This lack of effective counter-power leaves the field open to all kinds of malfeasance.
Employees taken hostage
The consequences of this disastrous management are not limited to the state’s finances. CNPS employees are the first victims of this system. Performance bonuses, 13th month, recovery bonuses… everything would be used by the DFC to reward its ” amis ” and punish dissenting voices.
An urgent call to action
Faced with the scale of the scandal, many voices are being raised to demand a thorough and independent investigation. “It is time for justice to take charge of this case”claims a union representative under cover of anonymity. “The CNPS can no longer continue to operate as a playground for a handful of unscrupulous individuals.”
This scandal at the CNPS is not just about big money. It is the entire credibility of the Cameroonian social protection system that is at stake. While millions of workers count on this institution to ensure their future, the CNPS seems to have been transformed into a cash cow for a privileged few.