By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC, and the Cameroon Bar Association, have signed a partnership agreement to combat the deepening corruption in the legal corps, in particular, and the country, in general.
The agreement was signed on December 18, 2025, at the headquarters of the anti-corruption watchdog in Yaounde by the CONAC Chairperson, Rev. Dr. Dieudonné Massi Gams on the one hand and the President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Bâtonnier Mbah Eric Mbah on the other.
Speaking on the occasion, Massi Gams said the agreement to mutually combat corruption in the country was the fruit of a project initiated by both institutions in August last year. He said many reasons led to the setting up of the platform notably recurrent denunciations of corruption practices by users against lawyers and other actors of the judicial system. The complaints are featuring in annual reports on the state of the fight against corruption in Cameroon published by CONAC.
Other reasons, according to the Chair of CONAC, was the creation in 2023 at the level of the Bar Association, of an anti-corruption commission at each court of appeal with the mission of signalling cases of corruption involving lawyers; and the highlighting of persistent practices of corruption by the President of the Cameroon Supreme Court in his speech of February 21, 2024.
Rev. Massi Gams equally talked of the declaration of the Minister of State for Justice who on June 21, 2024 revealed ongoing disciplinary investigations then concerning 865 magistrates out of a total of 1,784; and the need for CONAC to strengthen and diversify its partners as well as its cooperation tools in view of combating corruption at the level of the judiciary.
“The signing of the agreement marks a decisive turn in the fight against corruption within the ranks of lawyers and the judicial system – a pillar of integrity identified by the National Strategy for the Fight against Corruption.”
He said the agreement was coming at a time when President Paul in each of his outings talks of the need to break corruption that is sapping development efforts of the nation. He added that the same call was reiterated during the oath-taking ceremony by the President last November 6, 2025.
Stating that the agreement is within the framework of the National Strategy for the Fight Against Corruption adopted by the government in 2011 to serve as a guide to public policy, Massi Gams said it is geared at promoting ethical behaviour and integrity at the Cameroon Bar and exchange of information between CONAC and the Bar in matters of combating corruption. The partnership agreement thus borders on prevention, education, conditions for better exercise of the profession by lawyers that could stem corruption; incentives to lawyers of integrity; and sanction of corrupt lawyers and other entities of the judiciary.
Massi Gams hailed the lawyers noting that a judicial system of integrity is a necessity for the country. He, however, stated that the Bar Association should be ready to start by denouncing corrupt colleagues from within its ranks.
The signing of the partnership agreement was preceded by a presentation by the Head of the Prevention and Communication Division at CONAC, Irene Morikang Tche. She presented CONAC and the Cameroon Bar Association highlighting their missions; the importance of the partnership; the judiciary as pillar of integrity bringing out condition, incentives; and sanctions.
Concerning the expected outcome of the agreement, she said it is a boost in the fight against corruption in Cameroon. Morikang said, as a result, many individuals would have more access to justice; the society would become more resistant to corruption and there would be a better image development and prosperity in the country – the finality of all anti-corruption efforts.