By Peterkins Manyong
Abubakar Melo, Private Secretary to Hon. Emmanuel Yoyo, Questor at the National Assembly, will be standing trial, alongside two others, on charges of leaking an important legal document to the public.The document is the investigative report on the murder of John
Kohtem, former Balikumbat District Chairman, sent by the Northwest Attorney General's office to the Vice Prime Minister in charge of Justice, (then Minister of Justice). The two others are Ignatius Nah Mbubi, a businessman based in Ndop and Roland Pangmashi, a teacher at Lycee de Mfou, Yaounde.
The three suspects were released on bail after spending more than a month in detention. The last two were first transferred to Ndop on March 14 and released by the High Court of Ndop on Friday, March 16 on a bail of FCFA 500.000 each.
Melo had been released earlier. Meshi and Sama Chambers in Bamenda are handling the matter.Briefing The Post, one of the defence lawyers who opted for anonymity, told the High Court of Ndop, presided at by Justice Tayong, which objected to their release that the offence was a bailable one and not a felony.
Nah Mbubi and Pangmashi were then released on condition that they would appear in court on Monday, April 4. The lawyer said Melo too, will appear in court on the same charges but did not specify when.
The whole affair began when Nah Mbubi was arrested on February 1, this year, in Ndop for leaking the report of the Attorney General for the Northwest Province, Justice
Mbeichem Eyong, sent to the Minister of Justice. He was transferred to Bamenda same day and interrogated. He reportedly revealed that he received a copy of the Attorney General's report from his brother Roland Pangmashi, a teacher in Mfou, Yaounde.
He was later taken under escort to Yaounde where Melo and Pangmashi resided. The two were also arrested and brought to Bamenda and detained until they were released recently. Their detention was followed by a series of dramatic events, notably the lifting of Fon Doh's immunity.
Nah Mbubi is said to have later retracted his previous statement implicating Pangmashi, arguing that he made them under pressure or rather under torture. Melo is said to have been the most consistent, insisting that he knew nothing about it.
Fon Doh's Immunity Restored?
The arraignment of the suspects took place against the backdrop of Fon Doh's attendance of the March Parliamentary session sparking another debate as to whether he has secretly regained his immunity.
A statement by Assembly Speaker, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, sparked the latest controversy.
Cavaye, in his opening speech, said bygones should be bygones.
Stakeholders Examine Biodiversity Impediments
By Mirabel Azangeh Tandafor
Customs officials, law enforcement officers, judges, magistrates and some administrative officials of the Ministry of Forest and Fauna, MINFOF from March 17 to 18 were drilled on how best to safeguard Cameroon's biodiversity.
At a training workshop jointly organised by MINFOF and the Worldwide Fund for Nature, WWF, at Hotel La Falaise in Douala, the stakeholders deliberated on procedures of tracking down and sanctioning of all those involved in the illegal exploitation of the Fauna and Forest resources of Cameroon.
Illegal poaching and exploitation of forest resources constitute one of the biggest problems, when it comes to preserving Cameroonian's natural endowments of animal species and forest resources.
Defaulters of the laws guarding this have most at times gone unpunished, especially if they bribe their way out. Some, who do so in quantum have also gone unpunished because of their capabilities to 'pay' meanwhile, the small-scale poachers and fellers, have had to suffer the consequences.
The seminar therefore had as intention to reinforce the capacities of all major actors involved in this sector, render more effective the provincial committee on the fight against illegal exploitation of forest resources (including poaching).
This committee, that is present in all Cameroon's ten Provinces, was put in place six years ago after the heads of state's meeting in Yaounde. The seminar also had as objective to ensure the appropriate understanding of the laws, regulations and procedures guarding this sector; to re-train holders on their particular roles and draw up information link between them.
Riches Of African Forests
Meanwhile, alongside the chairperson of the workshop Ahmadi Ali, Secretary General at the Ministry of Forestry, was the regional Director of World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, Martin Tchamba who give a detailed lecture on the riches of African forests.
He said recent tumours in the form of climatic fluctuations, and earthquakes in some parts of the world, was a case for concern. "This is to show us how complex our environment is," he noted. He cited the Congo basin and the Amazonia as the life wires of the African continent because of the importance attached to by industrialists and ecologists.
He said, they have the capacity of de-polluting the air. He added that the forest along the Congo basin harbour games whose yearly consumption amount to one million tons yearly. Games from this environment supply the population around at least 80% of its meat.
As a source of employment too, Dr. Tchamba disclosed that in Cameroon, it contributes to 20 percent jobs to Cameroonians; thereby coming second after the petrol sector.
Correction: "He cited the Congo basin and the Amazonia as the life wires of the African continent". The Amazonia is not found in the African continent. It's found in Latin American continent.
Posted by: Sammy Ndingi | Tuesday, 29 March 2005 at 05:55 AM
Correction: "He cited the Congo basin and the Amazonia as the life wires of the African continent". The Amazonia is not found in the African continent. It's found in the Latin American continent.
Posted by: Sammy Ndingi | Tuesday, 29 March 2005 at 05:56 AM
Hi,
My name is Stijn from Belgium. A friend of me is from Cameroon and I look every day to your interesting website about the country.
I was wondering myself when John Konthem was killed, was it in the night or when ??
Keep on with the website !!!
I am waiting for your answer ...
Greetings
Stijn
Posted by: Stijn Geys | Thursday, 31 March 2005 at 05:03 PM