The January 13th hearing at the Yaoundé Military Tribunal regarding the murder of Martinez Zogo lasted only 20 minutes after parties acknowledged the trial could not proceed due to unresolved appeals. Prosecutors have yet to file appeals with the Court of Appeal challenging recent rulings by the military judges.

During a November 11, 2024, hearing, the military tribunal judges dismissed objections from the prosecution, who cited irregularities during the preliminary investigation and instruction phase. The prosecution now seeks a Court of Appeal review of these objections, but they are awaiting notification from the Military Tribunal, which has yet to be issued. This procedural delay resulted in the brief hearing this week and is expected to be resolved before the next scheduled hearing on February 3rd.

Substantive deliberations are unlikely to commence at the next hearing. Further complicating matters, the lawyer for the family of the murdered radio host Martinez Zogo has raised objections to the defense lawyers’ claims. This move has drawn criticism from defense attorneys who view it as a deliberate attempt to delay the trial.

“It’s almost two months later that the civil party decided to appeal when they could have done so much earlier,” stated Jacques Mbumy, attorney for Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, one of the primary defendants.

Lawyers representing the Directorate General of External Research (DGRE) have also appealed to the Court of Appeal after the military judges dismissed their objections. They are contesting the reclassification of charges against some of the 12 intelligence agents implicated in Zogo’s assassination.

In December 2024, these lawyers informed the court of their inability to pay the appeal filing fees. This prompted ridicule from the defense, who ironically offered to cover the costs.

Seventeen individuals have been arrested in connection with the investigation into Zogo’s assassination. This includes 12 DGRE agents, among them former counterintelligence service head Commissioner Léopold Maxime Eko Eko and former operations director Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, who are suspected of orchestrating the killing.

The trial, which commenced in March 2024, has faced numerous delays, and substantive hearings have yet to begin.

Source: Sbbc