The Court of Auditors at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, as well as the Ngbokoli-Moctar Legal Cabinet representing the two lawyers of the Honorable Henri-Marie Dondra, have all denied the false allegations that the former Prime Minister of the Central African Republic and current deputy of the first constituency of the 1st arrondissement in Bangui had given a massive sum of 35 million FCFA to the judges of the Court of Auditors to halt any investigation against him.
On June 25, 2022, a Facebook user named Imamiah-edouard Yamalet shared a post in the group “Letsunami Infos, La voix des Sans-Voix.” The post, shared 26 times with over 50 comments and 8 likes, claimed that former Prime Minister and current deputy of Bangui’s first arrondissement, Henri Mari Dondra, embezzled 69 billion and 200 million CFA francs and gave 35 million FCFA to the judges of the Court of Auditors to prevent an investigation against him. However, this assertion is actually a baseless thesis.
The post’s caption stated: “Central African Republic: He offered 35 million FCFA to the judges of the Court of Auditors! The noose is tightening around former Prime Minister Dondra…”
Why is this false?
To separate fact from fiction, the fact-checking editorial team of AFC contacted the Court of Auditors at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and reviewed a press release from the lawyers of the former Prime Minister to examine these allegations.
In an interview with AFC, Jules Léon Bodenaï, a senior advisor and General Prosecutor at the Court of Auditors at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, called this information misleading.
“It’s incorrect; the Honorable Henri-Marie Dondra did not give 35 million to the Court of Auditors. As of today, there is no procedure, no verification control program, and no investigation initiated by the Chief of State or the President of the National Assembly against the Honorable Henri-Marie Dondra.”
According to Law 96.001 of January 3, 1996, concerning the organization and operation of the Court of Auditors, there are only two ways to refer a case to the Court of Auditors, as specified in Articles 15 and 27.
• The first way is self-referral by the Court of Auditors itself, which can take up cases within its competence (Article 19 related to the powers of the President of the Court of Auditors, where the first president of the court sets the annual verification programs and allocates cases among the chambers by order).
• The second way is through referral by the Head of State or the President of the National Assembly, the two figures who can refer a case to the Court of Auditors for investigation during the year.
In a press release issued on June 27, 2022, by the two lawyers of the Honorable Henri-Marie Dondra, it was emphasized: “However, it is with dismay that our client learned of these accusations through virtual channels, the mentality of which exists only in the mind of Mr. Christian Gazambeti, who was evidently recruited to slander our client for political purposes.” – Moustapha Moctar, Lawyer at the Court, Former Minister, and Guy Mathurin Ngbokoli, also a Lawyer at the Court.
“Furthermore, it should be noted that, to date, no complaint has been filed against our client, nor has any procedure been initiated by the Courts and Tribunals. Therefore, we take this attempt at political cannibalization very seriously, as the intent is clearly reflected in the publications in question.” they continued.
It is important to note that these false allegations have resurfaced following the resignation of former Prime Minister Henri-Marie Dondra from the head of government on February 7, 2022, and his current position as deputy of the first constituency in the 1st arrondissement of Bangui. However, many high-ranking public figures and certain international institutions have since been targeted by conspiracy theories, destabilizing democracy in the Central African Republic.
Fouf-Kagna / AFC Editorial Team
Do you find information or images suspicious? Contact our editorial team at 00236 74 02 15 70 / 75 81 61 38 / 75 38 11 73, or email us at [email protected].
