Martinez Zogo’s case: Amougou Belinga, other suspects appear before military court

By Tata Mbunwe

Media billionaire Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga and more than 20 other suspects detained in connection with the murder of popular radio host Martinez Zogo spent an entire part of Tuesday, February 14, at the Yaounde Military Court.

Media reports said Belinga and 29 other suspects were driven in three vans escorted by several armed gendarme officers to the court on Tuesday afternoon to be examined on the allegations levied against them.

The suspects were retired to their cells at the State Secretariat for Defence, SED, at about 9pm, but their fate is yet to be determined.

They risk being transfered from provisional detention at SED to pretrial detention at the Yaounde Central Prison, if the allegations against them are deemed to be substantial.

Taken to the military court alongside Belinga were Raymond Etoundi Nsoe, his father-in-law and ex-commander of the Presidential Guard; Bruno Bidjang, Manager of Vision 4 television; Maxime Eko Eko, Director of Secret Service; and Justin Danwe, Director of Special Operations at the secret service officially known as DGRE.

They were arrested early this month alongside several members of the General Directorate for External Research, DGRE, who are alleged to have executed orders on the abduction and murder of Martinez Zogo.

Reporters Without Borders said in a report last week that Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga was a prime suspect in the journalist’s murder, following confessions made by other suspects, including Justin Danwe.

Zogo was the managing director of Amplitude FM, a popular radio station in Yaounde, through which he called out people suspected of corruption and embezzlement, including Amougou Belinga.

He was abducted on January 17 and his mutilated body was found on the outskirts of Yaounde on January 22.

Mimi Mefo Info