Deaf-mute SDF Militants, Language Hinder Fru Ndi Murder Case

By Nformi Sonde Kinsai

The poorly lit and cobwebbed Mfoundi High Court in Yaounde was, August 19, the venue for the first hearing of the case pitting the State against some 22 SDF militants suspected of murdering one of the party's militants, Grègoire Diboulé.

Cross Section Of SDF Detainees In Mfoundi Court

Later, the National Chairman of the Party, John Fru Ndi, was accused of complicity in the murder.Diboulé was reportedly killed on May 26, 2006, after a confrontation at a controversial Convention of the party that was called up in Yaounde by a faction leader and the then Chairman of the National Advisory Council, NAC, late Prof. Clement Ngwasiri, who was backed by Barrister Bernard Muna.

Since then, the arrested SDF militants were moved across a number of police and gendarmerie cells in Yaounde and, finally, placed under pre-trial detention at the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison. Of the original 23 militants arrested, John Ngu Mbahaning has since died in detention.

Some victims of the confrontation who were allegedly brought to the SDF Centre Provincial Secretariat - where the fight broke out - by the organisers of the May 26, 2006 Yaounde Convention, were in court. So, too, members of the late Diboulé's family who stood in as the civil party.

According to Ordinance No 1275-SOG-07 bearing preliminary investigations from the Chambers of the Examining Magistrate of the Court prepared by Charles Remy Manga Foe, retired Col. James Chi Ngafor, Coordinator of the SDF in the Centre Province, and John Fru Ndi are charged as being at the head of the complicity in the murder of Diboulé. Other charges levied against them include the infliction of simple and light injuries.

When the Presiding Judge, whose name The Post simply got as Batoum, carried out the preliminary court processes which had to do with verifying the presence of the defendants and the prosecutors as well as the defence and prosecuting lawyers, Barrister Innocent Bonu, lead Counsel for the prosecutor raised an objection.

Bonu argued that, Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam, a Vice President at the National Assembly, is mentioned in the Ordinance to the Court as one of the witnesses and can, therefore, not be one of the defence lawyers. This motion was immediately counteracted by Barrister Augustin Mbami who read out the portion in the Ordinance purportedly implicating Mbah Ndam. The Presiding Judge saw reason in Mbami's argument and overruled Bonu's objection.

Barrister Joseph Mbah Ndam, with reference to the Preamble of Cameroon's Constitution, stated that the SDF detainees have a right to fair trial where a language best understood by those concerned must be used. This was in opposition to the French language which is the working language of the Court.

One of the defence lawyers also raised another issue claiming that two of his clients are deaf and dumb and are, therefore, lost in the whole proceedings. He said for Mbah Mbatt who is deaf and dumb and Dieudonné Fopa who is deaf to receive a fair trial, an interpreter must be brought to Court.

This issue drew a wave of murmurs from the audience as some observed that if the detainees in question have never been to the school of the deaf and dumb, then the interpreter may not help matters.

In the face of such objections, the judge rhetorically questioned how the deaf and dumb detainees were interrogated in the first place. He said it is the legitimate right of the detainees to be provided with an interpreter before the case can be heard.

Requesting both parties to propose a date for the next hearing, he said the length of the process and difficulties of getting the interpreter must be taken into consideration. When the prosecuting lawyers proposed October 13, as against September 16 by the SDF Counsels, this stirred an outrage from the defence lawyers who argued that their clients have been undergoing undue detention for more than two years now.

After some explanations, the Judge announced that the next hearing is billed for October 13, 2008 at 10:00 am in the Mfoundi High Court.Meanwhile, reacting on why the case took so long to come up, Prof. Ndiva Kofele Kale, told reporters that it is the Prosecutor who determines the agenda.

Kale noted that it is only when the Prosecutor is thoroughly through with preliminary investigations that the case is called up. He said the problem with the case is the length of time the suspects have spent in pre-trial detention. "Justice would appear to have been rendered if the case was heard two years ago and not two years later," he said.

Prof. Kale further noted that, in criminal cases like the one in which the SDF is involved, it is the Prosecutor who carries the burden of proving how the crime was committed while the defence lawyers are there to raise doubts.

In a briefing at his Yaounde Omnisport residence, immediately after the adjournment, Fru Ndi told the press that he was in Court as an accused to tell Cameroonians and the world that no one is above the law.

Going by the declarations in the Court, he said the services of judicial translators and experts in sign language would be sought by the Court for the case to proceed. He said from what he gathered in Court, when effective hearing would have started by October 13, the delivery of the ruling would not take long.

On whether he was not frightened by the over 100 armed gendarmes deployed at the Court premises, Fru Ndi said when the party was being launched in 1990, the entire military armada was mobilised. Yet, he remained unperturbed. He, however, refused to comment further stating that he is confident justice would take its course.

Members of the SDF Shadow Cabinet, Parliamentarians, Mayors and militants jammed the court premises as well as curious onlookers including pickpockets who spent time searching members of the audience for booty.

Comments

[mk the southerner]

Smart English Lawyers, ooh how I wish we had our Country Southern Cameroons for us by us.

[anthony nsom]

Would Fru Ndi be our leader in a Southern Cameroon state?

[rexon]

One is obviously loosing patience with these bandits masquerading as politicians. The SDF and all those acting in Camerounese politics are traitors and braindead people who are no nationalists. If they are true nationalists and want to be heroes, they should instead distance themselves from Camerounese politics as that is not their country. Our people are suffering and dying in the Southern Camerouns and all they care about is how they make money from within the politics of falsehood of La Republique. Our true national heroes distanced themselves from the politics of Nigeria in the early 50's and vow not to engage in the politics of a foreign country. They boycotted the eastern house of assembly and returned home as heroes. Since then, we have learnt not to be more involved in the problems of a foreign nation than our own Southern Cameroonian struggle. Unfortunately, the SDF MP's despite our repeated cry have never been interested in following on the footsteps of these heroes. The reason why they prefer to fight and die in Camerounese politics is simply because they are more interested in the bribes and illegal party grants that comes from the CPDM junta. They have been helping Biya colour his fake democracy in return for those envelopes that is always being handed to them in public and in private by the criminal Biya regime. Greed, greed and greed is all what is of interest to these people. Shame on the SDF.

[mk the southerner]

Anthony Ni John could be anything he want to be in a free Southern Cameroons, if the people vote him. Remember no Southern Cameroonian will be more Southern than the other. But what we are telling Ni hear is that he should stop waisting our time.

[Essono]

Justice will take its course and our charismatic leader Ni John Fru Ndi who has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he's as ordinary as any other Cameroonian,will defend his case with great astuteness.With the battery of legal juggernauts,the SDF has and of which our militants should be very proud of,we should have faith that SDF shall come out much stronger than it went into that cobwebbed court room.

SDF POWER TO THE PEOPLE,
SDF POUVOIR AU PEUPLE,

CAMEROON IS ONE AND SHALL REMAIN SO.

[Essono]

Look at what says above,"But what we are telling Ni hear is that he should stop waisting our time".

The SDF's struggle and that of seccessionists are diametrically opposed Sir.The SDF is fighting for democracy in Cameroon and not for an independent Southern Cameroons.Got the difference.

So u secessionists have no reason to chide the SDF on anything.Our paths are parallel.Stop laying ur failures on the doorsteps of the SDF.

[mk the southerner]

Some people write here, and show a great deal of their academic know how. But one thing that surprises me is how sad they dont know the meaning of the word secession. Or is it because they dont know the real history of their country? or did history refused passing through them? What ever the case the truth can only make sense if the person listening to it understands it.

[Essono]

Ok Mr Wordsmith,tell us the meaning of "secession".And teach us that history u seem to be well versed in.It's not bc some people read history with the same fanatism with which Shia Muslims read the Koran that makes them "clerical historians".

[rexon]

Like Essono, our uncle NJFN knows that his country the Southern Cameroons is under occupation from La Republique Francaise du Cameroun. He does not dispute it when chatting privately with us. He knows like any ordinary Southern Cameroonian that he can never become the preident of a foreign nation. He is just a Franco-Camerounese puppet being used with his gang of handclappers in Camerounese parliament to legitimise the colonisation of the Southern Cameroons.

[stone]

I have realized that some southerners on this forum do not only hate FRU NDI but they want him dead. I can clearly see that you guys are seriously praying that he should be sent to jail. Sorry Sir's. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. You were anxiously waiting for Aug 19 and you are now waiting for oct 13. I will like to inform you that what you are especting will happen when fowls will grow teeths. CONTINUE WAITING. HA HA HA HA ha ha

[foh nefoh]

What hides the "Affair Diboule"