Barrister Akere Muna has again made headlines after securing the release of Vitalis, who had been wrongfully sentenced for allegedly spying for Ambazonia separatists.
This comes after his successful defense of Junior Ngombe, an activist who was arbitrarily arrested charged with “incitement of rebellion” and “propagation of false information.”
Vitalis, a driver who transported palm oil between Buea, Muyuka, and Limbe, was stopped at a police checkpoint a few years ago, where his phones were confiscated, and he was accused of being a spy for the Ambazonia secessionists.
According to Akere Muna, the examination of Vitalis’s phones and the absence of the supposed expert in court violated legal procedures.
As a result, Vitalis was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison two years ago for failing to report an offence of sedition.
Akere Muna appealed the case, and the Court of Appeal reduced Vitalis’s sentence to one year for failing to report a crime.
Vitalis was released on July 30, 2024, and has now been reunited with his family in Limbe.
“I was relieved to see Vitalis released as a free man,” Barrister Akere Muna said on Friday.
“Vitalis is now reunited with his family in Limbe.” Barrister Akere Muna stated that he fought the case “passionately, advocating for the rights of a Cameroonian whose future was clearly at stake.”
Vitalis is the second client to be freed from jail within a week under Muna’s defense in Yaoundé.
Barrister Akere Muna, who has been fervently battling against corruption in Cameroon, recently served as the lead counsel for the defense team, and succeeded in releasing 23-year-old Junior Ngombe.
Ngombe, an activist, was arrested after posting a TikTok video criticizing bad governance.
