The former Minister of Lands has died due to stress from her continues audition at the Special Criminal Court in Yaoundé. Jacqueline Koung A Bessike, passed away on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at the National Social Insurance Hospital (CNPS).

Over the last two years Mrs Koung A Bessike has gone through a series of interrogation at the Special Criminal Court accused of corruption, theft and financial malpractice in the illegal sale of a 5000m ² land, belonging to the former so-called Office National de Commercialisation des Produits de Base), to the tune of 26 million FCFA. She was also accused of having participated in the irregular retrocession of a 400-hectare plot of land to a family.

Between 2011 and 2019, she presided over the destiny of the Ministry of Lands and was replaced on 4 January 2019 by Henri Eyebe Ayissi.

Jacqueline Koung A Bessike also served as Secretary General at the Ministries of Tourism (1995-2001), Employment, Labour and Social Welfare (2001-2003), Women’s Affairs (2003-2007) and Employment and Vocational Training (2007-2009). She also served as Secretary General at the so-called Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) or better still Chantal Biya Foundation.

Koung  Bessike left at a time when an audit of Cameroon’s land holdings is demanding her to answer for her management of that the government’s department.

By Rita Akana