Bar. Marc CHEBS, Member Of SCACUF Judicial Bench, Resigns; Says Leadership Failed To Address Fraud A
- Linda EYONG Suzy
- Oct 23, 2017
- 5 min read
Mr. Marc Chebs is a Canadian Lawyer originating from Southern Cameroons and a member of the SCACUF Judiciary Department set up by the Chairman of the SCACUF Governing Council. Mr. Chebs had earlier on written an open letter to the Governing Council Leadership to address fraud allegations, internal crisis rocking the establishment to no avail. As a result, the said member has resigned on the basis of freeing his professional career and consciences from any skirmishes currently going on in that establishment.
Read letter below;
October 13, 2017.
The Southern Cameroons Governing Council (SCGC),
The SCACUF Secretariat,
The People of Southern Cameroons/ Ambazonia,
Dear Colleagues of the Restoration Quest,
Accept greetings from members of the Judiciary and fellow citizens of Ambazonia. We write to you in this time of great uncertainty and mistrust to assure you that we of the Judiciary stand firm for the principles of fairness, equality, justice and the rule of law.
These democratic ideals are the reasons we have embarked on this journey to restore our homeland. We promise to stay true to these principles, and hold the same creed as we breath new life into Ambazonia. Over the last few months we have heard the peoples cry for more accountability and good governance from all the leaders and various sectors of our United Front.
The legal department has been working tirelessly since the first SCACUF conclave to ensure that transparency, accountability and the Rule of law are tenets of the United Front. While the work is difficult considering that we are in a revolution, we have continued to be steadfast in establishing processes that we believe build on the principles so mentioned.
It is unfortunate that throughout these efforts, we have and continue to fight an uphill battle against pre-existing mindsets on how things should be, which have impeded the fullness of our efforts. We have also faced challenges with the fact that we carry on most of our business in virtual space which makes some processes difficult to implement. However, we are committed and continue to bring our expertise to ensure that best practices and transparency is a corner stone of our Restoration Quest.
Considering the mandate expressed above, we began to call for more transparency and openness in the structures of governance at SCACUF. This amongst other things led to the decision to conduct an audit of SCAPAC. SCAPAC has been one of the structures at the centre of many controversies. We submitted proposals on how to reform SCAPAC which are still pending adoption by the predecessor of, and the current Governing Council. We will work even harder to ensure that these ongoing issues are addressed immediately and expediently.
Considering the allegations brought against the Secretary General, Mr. Milan Atam, we must be cautious to draw conclusions. We must continue in the fine tradition of the common law that promotes innocence until proven guilty. This principle remains. The issue here however, is also one of ethics and personal conviction.
While Mr. Atam remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the allegation and preliminary evidence as presented from the audits and the admissions by the Vice Chair – Pa Tassang Wilfred are compelling. After a careful analysis and thorough canvassing of rules of ethics and Common Law precedent, we have arrived at the following conclusions;
1. The relationship between members of the Governing Council and the peoples of Ambazonia through SCACUF and SCAPAC is a bona fide Trust and, or fiduciary one.
2. Where an allegation of fraud concerning trust monies or a mere fraud on powers is alleged against a person in a position of trust (trustee) or fiduciary. It is incumbent that the accused recuse themselves from any process or investigation into their alleged conduct and, or be suspended until an investigation is completed.
3. The act or acts alleged with respect to SCAPAC accounts are Prima Facie fraudulent and the motive is a moot point. It does not matter at this stage whether there was malicious intent or not. That should be addressed in the context of a full investigation.
4. Inaction on this and like issues by the judiciary and legal minds will erode the public confidence in the Judicial process and bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
Based on the foregoing, we recommend the following;
1. That Mr. Secretary General voluntarily step aside or be suspended temporally from this role for 30 days pending a full investigation. He can continue to support the restoration quest as any ordinary citizen during this time.
2. An emergency meeting of all stakeholders be convened by the Chairman to revamp and restate the current governance structures of the Restoration Quest
3. An interim SG be appointed to manage the Secretariat in the interim.
4. A panel be constituted from the Judiciary to conduct a full investigation into the allegations against the SG and resolve the matter in a true Ambazonia fashion within 30 days.
Dear comrades, we are at a crossroads and let us not now be distracted or disillusioned. We are already paying a heavy price for our conviction in our inalienable rights as a people and now is not the time to lose faith. Our people back in the home land continue to pay a heavy price for this cause as we speak.
We ask the Governing Council to be swift in actions over the next few days to reassure our people, restore trust and get on with the business of preventing further atrocities on our people in the homeland. We must continue to bring out our best and return this cause to its original intent grounded in truth seeking and accountability.
Long live our restoration Quest and Long live the peoples of Ambazonia Sincerely,
On behalf of the Judiciary
Marc Chebs,
Barrister & Solicitor.
Following leadership's failure to yield to this advice from the judicial bench on 13 October 2017, Barrister Marc CHEBS has tabled a resignation letter to SCACUF.
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