How the executive is manipulating and destroying the justice system in Cameroon
How the executive is manipulating and destroying the justice system in Cameroon
A magistrate requests the intervention of the President of the Republic following a decision rendered against the Dg of the Autonomous Port of Douala. In another case, the presidency of the Republic which demands the release of a tax executive imprisoned for acts of corruption. Facts overhyped by social networks that show a judicial system in danger.
Felix Agbor Balla, lawyer at the Cameroon bar, political analyst and fervent defender of human rights affirms that the role of justice is to enforce the rules of the life of a society, to protect people. He adds that any so-called democratic state has an obligation to make its judicial system efficient. This performance is reflected in the people’s confidence in the justice system and the public’s support for respecting the decisions taken or handed down by the judicial authorities. A court decision is aimed at the general interest and not the particular interest.
The lawyer says he is shocked to see how justice in his country is manipulated by the clans to the point of losing its reputation and balance. “People use justice to solve their problems for their adversaries, it’s ridiculous,” says the lawyer. He returns to the legal proceedings subject to battles in which certain personalities have been engaged for a few days. The cases have also left the courtrooms to flood social networks.
Since Friday June 3, 2022, a correspondence that a magistrate in service at the Douala Bonanjo High Court has addressed to the President of the Republic. This magistrate requested the intervention of Paul Biya, president of the Judicial Council. The magistrate informs the President of the Republic that the conviction imposed in 2021 against Cyrus Ngo’o, general manager of the autonomous port of Douala against the Société-Canas Bois was imposed on him by his hierarchy.
“Indeed, in this case the decision was dictated to me and imposed by my direct hierarchy, Mr. President of the Court of First Instance of Douala Bonanjo against my opinion requested beforehand that it was to declare Sieur Ngo’o Cyrus not guilty. with regard to the facts and the law”, notes the magistrate; indeed the Dg of the Autonomous Port of Douala was sentenced in August 2021 to pay to justice a sum of 163,426,900 FCfa. But the CEO of the pad had paid the die sum by two checks drawn on the bank accounts of the company instead of doing it on his personal accounts.
The payment was rejected in December 2021 by the Paymaster General of Douala. The sum of money was supposed to be paid within six months after the court decision failing which a warrant of incarceration would have to be issued against the CEO of the Autonomous Port of Douala. On May 29, a wanted notice was issued against the general manager of the autonomous port of Douala while the latter calmly goes about his professional occupations.
This search notice specified that the Dg of the port is the subject of a warrant of imprisonment and that in the event of arrest, he should be taken under good escort to the Regional Division of the judicial police of the Littoral. On June 3, 2022, the Attorney General of the Coastal Court of Appeal seized the commander of the Wouri territorial gendarmerie group to go and arrest Cyrus Ngo’o:
The other case that has been talking about public opinion for a few days is linked to the arrest of Emeline Mvogo, head of the regional tax center for the Centre. This lady was imprisoned in the central prison of Kondengui on May 19, 2022 for attempted fraud of a large sum from Jean Pierre Amougpu Belinga, the CEO of the Anecdote Group. It happens that on the day of June 3, 2022, the Minister of State, Minister of Justice Laurent Esso received “telephone” instructions from the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic. The instructions from the presidency requested the release of Lady Mvogo.
In correspondence addressed to the Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, it was mentioned by Laurent Esso that at the stage of the procedure, Dame Mvogo could not be released for the simple reason that her lawyers had lodged a request to challenge the judge who signed the warrant of committal. The request for provisional release rejected on May 30 will be re-examined and finally approved by the chamber of control of the instruction of the Court of Appeal of the Center.
Me Meli notes and underlines this digital revolution which informs, and from time to time also misinforms. “The positive image is that all the traditional obstacles to the flow of information are breaking down in favor of the normal function of information. It should also be added that these broken barriers make it possible to realize that institutions, particularly the judicial institution, are swimming in the mud, so that this gives credit to the theses supported by those who have withdrawn from it the confidence necessary for its proper functioning. »
