NCC dismisses MRC complaints against newspapers.

The Council announced the decision on Thursday, May 8, 2025. This was at the end of the Council’s 46th Ordinary Session. It was chaired by its President, Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu. 

The institution noted that the MRC filed four complaints against the newspapers for linking its National President, Prof Maurice Kamto, to the violent attacks carried out on State authorities in Belgium, in February and March this year.

The MRC had accused the newspapers of defamation and a deliberate move to tarnish the image of Prof Kamto. The NCC dismissed the complaints and declared itself incompetent to handle the matter.

Wave of dismissals 

MRC’s first complaint was against The Reporter and NewsWatch newspapers. The party had claimed that the media organs published unfounded information, associating it and its leader to the Belgium attack on Youth Affairs minister, Mounouna Foutsou and others.

The NCC ruled that the accused publications had exercised “caution” and “professional distance” in handling the information they made public. 

In another complaint the MRC filed against the newspaper, Le Soir Trihebdo, and its publisher for publishing unfounded information, the NCC also dismissed it.

The NCC boss stated that: “After noting that the content of the Edition No: 1526 of the offending newspaper did not correspond with the accusations stated in the above complaint, the Council has decided to dismiss the case, due to non-compliant information, putting an end to the procedure started by the MRC and its National President, Prof Maurice Kamto”.

The third case that was also thrown out was against InfoMatin newspaper and its publisher. The party had accused the newspaper of publishing a frontpage article that contained unfounded statements, likely to injure MRC’s image and that of the party boss.

The NCC in its ruling stated that: “After observing no disregard for professional and ethical requirements by this media organ in its handling of information made public, the Council decides to dismiss this case, putting an end to the procedure started by CRM and its National President, Prof Maurice Kamto”. 

NCC says incompetent to judge defamation

The Council declared itself incompetent to judge the defamation case filed by the MRC. The party and its President had filed a complaint against the print media organs L’Expression, Generation Libre, Le Quotidien, Realites Plus, Le Pelican and their publishers.

It had said the publication linking the MRC and Kamto to the Belgium attacks were defamatory. 

“Following its examination of this case, the Council; noted that the accusation borders on defamation…NCC’s statutory remit is limited to appraising media content, in compliance with professional and ethical requirements. It therefore declares itself incompetent to judge the merits of a case of defamation, under the provisions of Article 305 of the Penal Code,” the NCC noted.

Ernest Obama gets one month ban 

At the close of the session, the NCC handed a one-month suspension on journalist, Ernest Obama, of Bnews1 television. 

The institution said the ruling was for misconduct registered during the talk show “Le Club,” broadcast on March 23, 2025, which Obama hosted. 

The Council said it personally initiated the case against the journalist and the television station, “following the broadcast of an unruly panelist making unfounded and insinuating remarks against the office of the President of the Republic”.

The body said Obama was particularly getting the axe “for failing to adequately moderate the talk show”.

Equinoxe journalists warned 

The Council issued warnings to Equinoxe Television journalists; Messrs Ngono Mmala Ulrich and Kameni Hubert Michel, for “insufficient investigation in handling information”.

The NCC said this was during the broadcast of news on the Mayor of Mokolo in the Far North Region, Vohod Deguime, on March 28 this year. The municipal authority had filed a complaint against Equinoxe Television and the two journalists, claiming they reported unfounded information concerning his removal from office and refusal to pay session allowances.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3447 of Tuesday May 13, 2025