By Ebi Kesiena
The daughter of Cameroon’s long-serving President Paul Biya, Brenda Biya, has been convicted in Geneva, Switzerland, for defamation, slander, and insult following a high-profile dispute with Cameroonian-Nigerian singer Dencia.
The case has not only drawn attention to Brenda’s controversial social media behaviour but has also renewed scrutiny of the Biya family’s lavish lifestyle in Switzerland, allegedly funded by Cameroonian public funds.
Brenda Biya, 27, was found guilty after referring to Dencia as a “scammer”, a “dope dealer”, and a “lil coke whore” in posts made from Geneva. The insults, shared publicly on social media, followed a disagreement over the legal status of beauty products. The court determined she had crossed the line into criminal conduct.
According to Swiss news outlet SWI swissinfo.ch, which first reported the penal order, the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Brenda was residing at the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva when the offensive posts were published. A room is reportedly reserved for her year-round at the five-star hotel, where her father, President Biya, is also known to stay for extended periods.
Meanwhile, Swiss investigative journalist François Pilet, who co-authored the 2018 documentary Geneva: A Dictator’s Paradise, described the development as both a legal and political scandal. “This case goes beyond a feud between celebrities; it confirms what many have suspected for years: Brenda Biya lives part-time in Geneva, funded by public money from Cameroon,” said Pilet.
The revelations have further fuelled public outcry over the Biya family’s spending habits abroad. President Paul Biya, 92, is the world’s oldest head of state and has ruled Cameroon since 1982. Over the years, he has been accused of systemic corruption, electoral fraud, and repression. Human rights groups have condemned his administration for cracking down on dissent and curbing press freedom.
According to figures compiled by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Paul Biya has spent over four-and-a-half years on private visits overseas between 1982 and 2018, primarily in Geneva. The cost of these trips, which include stays at the InterContinental Hotel with an entourage of around 60 people, is estimated at over $177 million, with hotel expenses reportedly reaching $40,000 per night. Hotel staff claim the president pays in cash and is known for handing out generous tips.
For many Cameroonians, these revelations are infuriating. A Cameroonian journalist, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, said the president’s foreign lifestyle contrasts sharply with the situation at home. “While our country faces economic hardship, food insecurity, and violent internal conflict, our president and his family live extravagantly abroad,” the journalist said.
The same journalist noted that Brenda Biya refused to disclose her financial situation during the Geneva investigation, further fuelling suspicions that her stays in Switzerland are bankrolled by the Cameroonian government. “There is no transparency,” the journalist added. “But we know how things work. Many fear speaking out, journalists have been jailed or killed for less.”
As President Biya prepares to run for re-election in October, the latest scandal surrounding his daughter is likely to deepen public frustration. Cameroon currently ranks 140th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, a reflection of the deep-rooted governance issues plaguing the country.
