For nearly three weeks, the Cameroonian political and media sphere has been shaken by the heinous crime of a radio journalist. Several suspects have already been arrested and the investigation should lead to the exposure of the perpetrators of this crime.
Facts
On January 17, 2023, Martinez Zogo, 51, popular voice of Amplitude FM, a radio station where he denounced daily, in his program Embouteillages, the mafia operation of rival clans of the regime, was kidnapped in Yaoundé. For several days, his nuclear family and Cameroonian journalists stepped up to find the journalist. On January 22, the lifeless body of Martinez was found in Ebogo 3, a locality located a few kilometers from the capital Yaoundé.
Total indignation, the Cameroonian media asks for answers and demand justice. On January 27, the President of the Republic Paul Biya, instructed a mixed Police-Gendarmerie investigation under the supervision of the Gendarmerie to shed light on this affair and on January 31, the first arrests are made.
The Secret Services Involved
The State Secretariat for Defense (SED) is in charge of the investigation. On January 31, several members of the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE), the largest Cameroonian secret service, were arrested. Among them, a certain Justin Danwe, the Director of Operations of this service. The latter will quickly confess and will admit to having led the group which executed the journalist. Maxime Eko Eko, head of the DGRE, is also summoned to the SED and placed in police custody.
However, Maxime Eko denies his involvement in this crime; but Justin Danwe reassures that he could not have carried out such an operation without the approval of his boss. On February 2, during another interrogation, Justin Danwe broke down and decided to tell everything about the assassination. He recounts having followed the journalist for a week before kidnapping him. After the kidnapping, the journalist is taken to the basement of the Ekang building. A building in the heart of downtown Yaoundé and belonging to Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, a powerful businessman and boss of several media, including the famous television Vision 4. Martinez Zogo, a few days before his disappearance, had denounced fictitious markets of several billion CFA Francs granted to Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga. Also in his story, Justin Danwe claims that the businessman was present when the journalist was taken to his building. And it was following several acts of atrocious torture that Martinez was killed.
On February 6, Amougou Belinga was arrested and taken to the SED for a hearing. With him, one of the star journalists of his media, Bruno Bidjang, but also his bodyguard, a retired colonel Etoundi Nsoé as well as several members of his companies. According to information broadcast by the local media, Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga would be the sponsor of the assassination of the journalist. On February 14, they were brought before the Military Tribunal, where new hearings should begin in the coming days. Several other high personalities are cited in this case. In particular, the Minister of Justice Laurent Esso and the Minister of Finance Louis Paul Motaze. The latter would be, with Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, responsible for this heinous crime. For the moment, the investigation is on its way and we will know of its outcome very soon.
