The bomb has finally exploded: major revelations on the sale of Bastos land to BAT
The land in question, situated in the prestigious Bastos neighbourhood of Yaoundé, spans close to 10 hectares and has been the subject of a legal dispute involving BAT Cameroun S.A. The company has expressed concerns over what it perceives as an attempt to expropriate and evict it from its property, which could potentially deter foreign investors and tarnish Cameroon’s international image.
The case, which was brought before the Court of First Instance of Yaoundé, was withdrawn due to procedural irregularities, including the wrongful attribution of the court’s name by the complainant. This withdrawal, however, does not mark the end of the legal battle, as the matter could be called up again in court.
The situation sheds light on the broader context of land sales and foreign investment in Africa. Companies like BAT are often seen as key players in economic development, contributing through taxes and employment. However, the balance between encouraging foreign investment and protecting national interests is delicate and often fraught with legal and diplomatic challenges.
This case also highlights the importance of clear and fair legal processes in land ownership disputes. The defects in the court writ, as pointed out by BAT’s defence counsel, underscore the need for meticulous legal documentation and representation to ensure that justice is served and that the rights of all parties are upheld.
As the story unfolds, it will be crucial to monitor the outcomes and implications of this high-profile land sale. The resolution of this dispute will not only affect the involved parties but could also set a precedent for future land sales and foreign investments in Cameroon and beyond.
The case of British American Tobacco (BAT) and its land at the Bastos intersection continues to reveal surprises. The company denounces a fraudulent appropriation of its land by influential members of the Cameroonian regime.
The Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, Henri Eyebe Ayissi, created an ad hoc commission on January 10, which delivered its conclusions on March 1. Subsequently, on April 25, the minister signed an order dispossessing BAT Cameroon of 4 hectares of this land. The minister justified this decision by citing “the insufficient development by British American Tobacco on the land” and relying on a 1974 ordinance establishing the “State’s right of preemption on the management and acquisition of land owned by foreign nationals.”
New revelations indicate that even before the State’s recent acquisition of land, BAT had already sold part of the 10-hectare land, initially granted in 1994 by the State of Cameroon. Between 1998 and 2021, BAT sold about twenty plots to well-known individuals within the Cameroonian elite, including:
– Jérôme Obi Eta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Camwater
– Grégoire Owona, Minister of Labor and Deputy Secretary of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC)
– Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara, former Minister of External Relations
– Yves Michel Fotso, billionaire, through his real estate company La Tornade
A plot purchase in 2019 for 40 million CFA francs (€61,000) by Yves Michel Fotso is currently the subject of a dispute between him and BAT before the Yaoundé court.
In a letter addressed to the head of state, BAT claimed to be working on developing the site through an investment of €600 million. However, Paul Biya authorized Eyebe Ayissi to withdraw this land title from BAT. The lands were redistributed to other individuals, including the first lady’s children, Chantal Biya.
