Marafa hamidou yaya biography of william

President Paul Biya and his wife Chantal were on the Albatross as it made an emergency landing.

He has been imprisoned since for his alleged involvement in embezzlement but claims his detention is politically motivated.

A court in Cameroon has sentenced ex-minister Marafa Hamidou Yaya to 25 years in jail on corruption charges. He has been found guilty of embezzling millions of dollars intended as a downpayment on a presidential plane. Three co-defendants, including a former head of now defunct national airline Camair, received the same sentence. Another senior politician, former PM Ephraim Inoni, is also facing charges in connection with the fraudulent deal to purchase a presidential jet in Marafa Hamidou Yaya was then secretary-general of the presidency, and Mr Inoni was his deputy.

It developed problems on its inaugural flight, and was later found to be an old aircraft with a new coat of paint. President Paul Biya, his wife Chantal and their children were on board when the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. Marafa Hamidou Yaya was interior minister until last year. Mr Inoni went on to be prime minister from to Marafa Hamidou Yaya held several senior government positions before holding the powerful interior ministry portfolio.

Mr Biya sacked him in December He told the court he was "disappointed but not beaten" by the sentence, declaring himself a victim of "slanderous accusations". In May, a former ambassador to the UN, Jerome Mendouga, was jailed for 10 years in connection with the Albatross affair. Mr Biya - who has been in power since - was re-elected for a sixth term last October, in a vote that was criticised as fraudulent by critics.