Cameroon’s Deposit and Consignment Fund (CDEC) has suspended enforcement measures targeting MTN Cameroon accounts at Afriland First Bank in connection with the so-called “Bestinver case,” providing relief to the telecom operator’s mobile money operations. The decision follows a tripartite meeting on November 12, 2025, between the CDEC, MTN Cameroon, and Afriland First Bank, attended by MTN CEO Wanda Matandela.
In a letter to the parties, CDEC Managing Director Richard Evina Obam said the suspension applies to the Mobile Money Pool Account at Afriland First Bank, which holds about CFA120 billion (US$215 million), and is contingent on cooperation from the bank. Afriland is required to submit a “complete and truthful” declaration of the funds seized or held in escrow within seven days. Once this is done, the CDEC will issue new recovery notices excluding the Mobile Money Pool Account.
The case originates from a dispute between businessman Baba Danpullo and MTN Cameroon. The telecom operator challenged interim court orders that appointed the chief clerk of the Douala-Bonanjo court as custodian of seized funds. MTN argued that these orders violate Cameroonian law, which grants the CDEC exclusive authority to manage judicial deposits and consignations.
In submissions to the Littoral Court of Appeal, the CDEC supported MTN, arguing that nearly CFA144 billion (US$$257 million) seized across several banks, including CFA120 billion from the Mobile Money Pool Account, should remain under its control. The fund also requested Afriland to transfer CFA6.241 billion (US$$11.1 million) belonging to MTN, along with CFA782.5 million (US$1.4 million) in late-payment penalties, to the CDEC account.
In total, the CDEC is claiming CFA166 billion (US$$297 million), plus around CFA4 billion (US$7.1 million) in penalties, while excluding the Mobile Money Pool Account from enforcement measures. The suspension provides crucial operational relief for MTN Cameroon, whose mobile money services are used by millions of households, traders, and businesses.
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The development highlights the regulatory and judicial stakes involved in Cameroon’s financial sector, emphasizing the CDEC’s legal monopoly over judicial consignations and its role in safeguarding the stability of the country’s mobile payment system.
