Cameroon: Former State Officials Freed After 20 Years in Prison. Libreville, Gabon — 23 February 2026 (AGP) Lead Paragraph: Two former high-ranking officials in the Cameroonian government, Jules Roger Belinga and Emmanuel Gérard Ondo Ndong, have been released from prison after serving 20 years for embezzling public funds, the Cameroonian Press Agency reported on Saturday. Belinga, the former Director General of the Société Immobilière du Cameroun (SIC), and Ondo Ndong, the ex-Director General of the Fonds Spécial d’Équipement et d’Intervention Intercommunale (FEICOM), were arrested in 2006 as part of the “Operation Épervier, “a broad anti-corruption campaign initiated by President Paul Biya to clean up public finances.
The two men were convicted in a series of trials for embezzling over 36 billion Francs, according to official statements. Their release, which had been anticipated for several days, has reignited discussions about the effectiveness and real impact of Operation Épervier, particularly in terms of the return of public funds and the sustained fight against corruption in Cameroon.
The pair left the Central Penitentiary of the Ministry of Defense in Yaoundé, under the watchful eyes of family members and supporters.
The circumstances of their release and any conditions attached were not immediately disclosed.
The government has not yet commented on the details of the release or the reasons behind it. Further details are expected to emerge as the situation unfolds.
The case of Belinga and Ondo Ndong will likely continue to be a point of debate regarding the government’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts in the country.
