The mayor of Dschang, Jacquis Gabriel Kemleu Tchabgou, was sentenced to six months in prison by the correctional court this Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The decision follows a case between Saptrans SARL and officials of the municipality of Dschang.
Although convicted, Jacquis Gabriel Kemleu Tchabgou will not be incarcerated due to his age, which is over 60 years old. However, two of his collaborators, Dongmo Louis Sabato and Atonlekeu Rodrigue, were sentenced to two months in prison and are currently behind bars.
In addition to the prison sentences, the court also ruled on the financial aspect of the case. The three convicts will be jointly and severally liable for 1,435,360 FCFA in court costs, as well as 28,595,000 FCFA in damages to be paid to Saptrans SARL, the plaintiff. The municipality of Dschang was declared civilly responsible for the payment of these damages, which means that the local taxpayer will have to bear this financial burden.
The case concerns charges of abuse of office and destruction of property, where the mayor and his collaborators are accused of ordering the destruction of the construction site which led to the theft of equipment from Saptrans, which was building a modern technical inspection center in Dschang. Despite the agreement of at least four ministers of the republic, the governor of the Western region and the prefect of Menoua, the mayor allegedly refused to issue the building permit, causing significant losses for the company.
This conviction of a local elected official is a rare event in Cameroon, where corruption remains an endemic problem. In 2023, Cameroon lost more than 114 billion FCFA due to corruption and related practices. According to Transparency International, Cameroon ranks among the countries with very high corruption.
