The Canadian construction company Magil defends itself and responds to the accusations of the Cameroonian Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, contracting authority for the construction site of the Olembe sports complex. Accused by the ministry of overcharging and of wanting to unilaterally terminate its contract by leaving the work unfinished, Magil, a subsidiary of the French group Fayolle, publishes this Wednesday morning January 11 a press release and sends a letter to the Cameroonian prime minister.
After almost a week of silence, Magil reacts to the letter which leaked Thursday January 5 in the press. One “ media sabotage “, according to Magil. This letter from the Ministry of Sports addressed to the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister accused the manufacturer ” evil intentions […] to siphon off the works budget » of the Olembe sports complex. This emblematic construction site in the suburbs of Yaoundé, whose stadium was built for the football CAN, hosted the opening matches and the final of the competition in early 2022.
Those are “ slanderous remarks unworthy of a high representative of the State “, declares the Canadian company which, in its letter to the services of the Prime Minister, claims to want “ restore truth to reality of the Olembe project. Magil and subcontractors would no longer be paid “ since July 2021 […] despite the availability of funds » and invoices submitted every month. For Magil, the financial strangulation of subcontractors is the responsibility of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (Minsep).
Of the ” breaches of contract » from the Ministry
To this would be added, according to Magil “ the non-renewal of the tax and customs exemptions provided for ” and “ the discovery of numerous defects in the stadium when work resumed after the departure of Italian builder Gruppo Piccini. Another statement from Magil: the real progress of the sports complex when the company took over the site in 2019 was not that indicated by its predecessor, the Italian Gruppo Piccini.
Magil adds that ministry officials have “ repeatedly conspicuous by their absence from meetings because the builder refused to pay attendance allowances and other requested gifts.
For Magil, the decision to request the termination of the contract was imposed ” in the face of breaches of contract ” of the Ministry of Sports which “ contributed to jeopardize the project ” despite “ requests for mediation and attempts at amicable settlement “.
Franck Mathière, executive vice-president in charge of international affairs at Magil was in Yaoundé on Tuesday, January 10 to meet several authorities and say that Magil is ready to complete the project if a solution is found.
For the time being, no comment to the Prime Minister and the Cameroonian presidency on this file. The unfinished construction site of the Olembe sports complex is already, according to the Ministry of Sports, officially 155 billion CFA francs (equivalent to 235.6 million euros) consumed, of which 42 billion (63.8 million euros ) allocated to Magil.
►Also read: In Cameroon, indignation around the endless construction of the Olembé sports complex