Martinez Zogo’s death: Killing that stirs political storm in Cameroon.

20/02/2023

Normally, the murder of a reporter, though as heinous as that of Martinez Zogo was, should have been just a legal issue. But it is turning out to be muddled with political battle for succession and even pitting lawyers against journalists.

On Friday, Barrister Charles Tchoungang, a lead lawyer for businessman, Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, one of the suspects being detained, called a press briefing not to give brief on investigations concerning his client, but to scoff journalists.

“I can no longer accept that my clients are dragged through the mud by people who do gutter journalism. People who should go to the source to find the right information, prefer to invent scenarios,” Barrister Tchoungang declared at his press briefing.

“If you knew what we know in this file, 90% of what is written or published in the media is unfounded,” he said, and announced that henceforth lawyers of Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga will fight on equal terms.

“We have decided to communicate within the framework of this file....,” he added.

But Tchoungang never divulged the 10 percent of what might incriminate his client, who was arrested on the morning of Monday February 6, 2023 and remains incarcerated.

Amougou Belinga, who was arrested alongside the Director General of his media empire, Bruno Bidjang, was among those bundled to the military tribunal last week. Others were said to include Raymond Etoundi Nsoe, father-in-law of Amougou Belinga and chief of his private security; Maxim Eko Eko, Director of secret service and Justin Danwe, director of special operations at the secret service.

We learned that their files were examined for several hours to determine their involvement in the brutal and premeditated murder of Radio journalist Martinez Zogo.

After staying for long hours at the Yaounde Military Tribunal, they were taken back to the State Secretariat for Defence, SED, late Tuesday night, where investigations on the case will continue before their fate is decided.

At this daily newspaper, we respect the role of lawyers to defend the interest of their clients no matter the gravity of the suspicion. But lawyers should also be reminded that journalists have their inalienable right to inform the public, especially in a matter that has attracted world attention with over 16 million hashtags4Justice as at last week and still counting.

On February 15, 2023, France's most influential daily newspaper, Le Monde, not known for giving editorial space for affairs in Africa, took a firm stance on the Zogo murder.

Qualifying the killing as the "warning of a storm in Cameroon", the newspaper held that there was more behind the crime other than the corrupt practices of some regime barons whom the murdered reporter exposed.

The motive, Le Monde pointed out, was based on a "succession" battle for President Biya that has for years been fought clandestinely behind the scene by CPDM bigwigs.

“All countries committed to democracy must weigh in to demand the truth in the Martinez Zogo case and use their influence so that this heinous crime does not go unpunished. The elimination of the journalist also confirms that Cameroon risks going through a troubled period when the man who succeeded dictator, Ahmadou Ahidjo (1960-1982)....," Le Monde wrote.

For Le Monde, the assassination of Martinez Zogo is not far from being a state scandal.

In a quick reaction to the editorial, the Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, who is also the communication secretary of the CPDM Central Committee said President  Biya has ordered the opening of an investigation whose conclusions will lead to the truth long awaited by Cameroonians.

On the issue of succession, the CPDM spin-doctor added that the country has 329 political parties and his party boss has always won the presidential elections organised in a "healthy competition, transparency and appeasement", implying that the field for Biya's succession is wide open.

With regards to justice, Fame Ndongo said contrary to the Le Monde editorial. The judiciary, he said, is independent and is not under anyone's control and that the idea that the judiciary is at the beck of the executive was to discredit Cameroonian magistrates.

The Zogo assassination has raised three major issues - independence of the judiciary, President Biya's succession and the practice of journalism in Cameroon.

At this daily, what we think lawyers like Tchoungang, a former president of the Bar Association, should be more concerned with, is the rule of law and independence of the judiciary, rather than attempting to pick holes in journalism, even if his clients are not culpable.

Given the number of top security officials said to have been implicated, the case has had political and even global ramifications and will remain on the radar of journalists around the world until judgment.

The CPDM spokesman said there are 329 parties, but most leaders from those banana political outfits are not the people in nocturnal conflict to replace Biya. Those who are said to be vying to succeed him in ferocious underground battles are within the CPDM. Such battles have been brutal even at the reorganisation of the basic organs of the party.

The possible successors know that it is from the reorganisation that membership of the party's congress is derived from. That congress decides who replaces Biya whenever he decides to return to the village on retirement. The congress has not held since 2011, even though it should, by its own text, hold every five years. It was first speculated to take place last December and heightened tension in what is being said to be "a clan war" within the ruling party, which might have led to the killing of a journalist.

Whatever the case, all the details about the arrest and investigation should be made public. The defence has called a press briefing to curry public sympathy and attempt to cower and intimidate the press.

For the interest of justice and public opinion, the government should also be opened to the press to explain which state officials are being detained and their involvement in the murder. It should not leave the public guessing and judiciary accused of being at the caprice of the executive in a horrid crime which international media is associating to Biya’s succession.