Francophone Newspaper Publisher handed two year jail term, banned from practicing profession

The publisher of weekly French language tabloid , Tribune de L’Est , Chantal Roger Tuile has been slammed a 2 year jail term after losing a defamation suit filed by the Director of CNPS, Alain Noel Olivier Mekulu.

In addition to the jail term, the Yaounde Court of First Instance ruled that he is also banned from practicing journalism for life and is expected to pay heavy fines media sources state.

The case started in 2011 when the publisher in his paper, Tribune de l’Est, reportedly claimed that the CNPS boss got the sum of 11 million FCFA monthly and accused him of mismanagement, abuse of power among other crimes.

The sentence that has been described by many as heavy comes after the publisher in January 2020 declared that he had apologized and even went on air to read what he said were extracts of his apology to the said official.

Despite the move, the court still ruled in what is believed to be a harsh judgement. Media reports indicate that the publisher will in the days ahead appeal the judgement.

Mimi Mefo Info