After arrest of suspected Martinez Zogo’s killers: Journalists’ trade union calls for more pressure on gov’t for justice.

The appeal is contained in a statement issued by CJTU’s National Executive Bureau on February 6.  The statement signed by CJTU’s Secretary General, Hilaire Hamekoue, comes after the arrest of some personalities in connection with the death of the popular radio animator and Station Manager of Amplitude FM.

The arrest of business tycoon and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Anecdote Media Group, Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, alongside his employee and journalist, Bruno Bidjang, was carried out in the early hours of Monday, February 6 by a mixed investigation team.

Their arrest comes barely days after government announced the arrest of others highly suspected to be involved in the killing of the journalist.

In the February 6 statement, CJTU joined the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, to welcome the progress with the investigation and the arrests announced February 2, by the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

“CJTU is pleased to note that actions have followed words,” partly read the statement. “However, CJTU requests that the real culprits be arrested and punished for the heinous, scandalous and villainous assassination of Martinez Zogo,” added the statement which stressed that this would be a “strong signal for the press”.

Appeals for journalists’ safety

The trade unionists have also called on government to guarantee the safety of journalists’ covering the arrests related to the murder of their colleague.

“CJTU notes with regret that on Monday, February 6, during arrests, journalists in the exercise of their work were assaulted and their work equipment seized,” it mentioned, before condemning what they considered as an obstacle to the work of journalists.

“We request the protection of journalists in the exercise of their profession, in particular in the treatment of this assassination, and of colleagues close to Martinez Zogo, who are victims of repeated threats,” the CJTU communique further stressed.

While requesting members of the profession to keep mounting pressure on government by wearing black to go to work, CJTU highlighted that this will ensure that no one forgets and they will fight for justice till the end.

“CJTU therefore intends to maintain the pressure until all the authors and sponsors of the murder of Martinez Zogo are unmasked, tried and punished in accordance with the law,” CJTU added.

Meanwhile, the CJTU executive bureau also commended the commitment of all the union’s chapters for respecting the directives of the executives and for closely following the investigation of the mixed gendarmerie and police team, which has only just begun and is already bearing fruit.