Around 7:00 am this Saturday, March 4, 2023, the CEO of the television channel Vision 4 was ferried from the Military Court in Yaoundé to the Kondengui Maximun Security Prison.

The business tycoon and media guru was too ashamed to speak to journalists as he left the Secretariat of State for Defense (SED) where he spent 25 days in custody as part of the investigation related to the murder of journalist and whistleblower Martinez Zogo.

Amougou Belinga started his last journey of many dangers around 5pm on Friday, March 3, 2023 for the Yaoundé Military Court under heavy escort and was auditioned till the early hours of Saturday March 4, 2023.

For more than 14 hours, journalists and relatives of the suspects stood in front of the Yaoundé Military Court.  Suspense was very intense and the late Martinez Zogo investigation proved to be longer than in the past, as the state prosecutor decided to close the preliminary procedure after two postponements. 

Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, leader of the commando mission who kidnapped the renowned Martinez Zogo, in Yaoundé on January 17, 2023 before murdering him shortly thereafter was charged.

The Government Commissioner of the Yaoundé Military Court, Commander Cerlin Belinga, after having carefully read the preliminary investigation report produced by the Joint Gendarmerie-Police Commission said that there were enough corroborating clues to remand Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwé, Amougou Belinga and all the elements of the DGRE in custody.

Amougou Belinga, Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Danwe including members of his killer squad have now joined the disgraced Commissioner Maxime Eko Eko, head of the General Directorate of External Research in Kondengui.

By some strange happenstance, journalist Bruno Bidjang the general manager of Vision 4, Colonel Raymond Thomas Etoundi Nzoe and Yannick Nkili, respectively Chief of Security and bodyguard of Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga were acquitted. Melissa Belinga’s driver and his wife were also freed.

Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, the main man behind the murder of Martinez Zogo was charged with “complicity in torture by aiding”.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai