By Ireneaus Chia Chongwain
It is an aberration in a State of law to think a man can be stronger than the laws of his land. After pressure from the media, political, civil and religious authorities, the appeal of the estranged Fon of Balikumbat, who had been sentenced to 15 years in jail for murder, may finally be heard. One needs to remain cautious when talking about Cameroon’s judiciary for it is frighteningly corrupt and capable of taking unexpected twists and turns.
Fon Doh, the enigmatic traditional Fon of Balikumbat, whose trial and sentencing for murdering a political rival, John Kohtem, is once more feeling the Hangman’s noose tightening round his neck. A few months after the Ndop High Court sentenced him to jail, he was released on bail for “medical” reasons. He has not been back in prison ever since!
Those who have been keeping track of the Fon’s movements can testify he does everything except what a sick person cannot do. Since he has been out of jail, he has been more times to hardware shops, where he buys goods to carry out his contracts, and only occasionally to pharmacies, talk less of hospitals.
Fon Doh’s case has made Cameroon’s judicial system a laughing stock nationally and internationally, exposed the depth of its mafia tap root and created a new legal reality through a strange alchemy in this State of Law ! He poses a continual headache to traditional, judicial, civil and administrative officials in the North West Region and confirms the famous derisive French saying, “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun!”
One would have thought from the trauma he suffered when he was stripped of his Parliamentary immunity, the wagging he received from prosecuting magistrates and the disgrace he endured when he was thrown into jail, that he had learned his lesson- but far from that. He continues along the paths that landed him in trouble and in prison, however brief he stayed there. Stories of his highhandedness continue to be reported and he goes where and when he wants. For those who doubt it, Fon Doh is the embodiment of impunity in the North West Region!
His case is, no doubt, setting an unfortunate precedent in Cameroon’s legal history and wrangling. Those who had or have the courage to face Fon Doh have had or may pay a heavy price. Has the court not found him guilty of killing John Kohtem for daring to oppose him? Even though a criminal, is he not going about his business unperturbed? Does he not continue to pull the strings from the background as magistrates bent on prosecuting him have been transferred from the North West Region to other parts of the country? Have many of those sentenced with Fon Doh not been surreptitiously released, while three of those who testified against him not still languishing in jail?
For political reasons judicial decorum has been sacrificed on the altar of injustice and a miscreant has become more influencial in his community than the innocent- a true reversal of values. Even in the face of what many see as Fon Doh’s “omnipotence”, courageous people drawn from different churches, political parties, civil movements and the media, have not allowed their voices to be gagged. They believe the voice of a people is the voice of God and that a man cannot win judgement against his people no matter how hard he tries.
Contrary to what many believe, things have moved a step forward as Fon Doh’s appeal “may” be heard after all. He may be acquitted but the decision would have been the Court’s not Fon Doh’s. The courage of the men and women who are bringing pressure to bear on legal authorities needs to be saluted. They are daring to stick out their heads in an evidently slippery environment. Those who think silence is the best protection have got it all wrong, for they killed John Kohtem and they remained silent, they are threatening to kill the journalists speaking out or writing about this case and they will remain silent and when next they come after the “silent”, there will be nobody left to speak out on their behalf !
Those who have been keeping track of the Fon’s movements can testify he does everything except what a sick person cannot do. Since he has been out of jail, he has been more times to hardware shops, where he buys goods to carry out his contracts, and only occasionally to pharmacies, talk less of hospitals.
Fon Doh’s case has made Cameroon’s judicial system a laughing stock nationally and internationally, exposed the depth of its mafia tap root and created a new legal reality through a strange alchemy in this State of Law ! He poses a continual headache to traditional, judicial, civil and administrative officials in the North West Region and confirms the famous derisive French saying, “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun!”
One would have thought from the trauma he suffered when he was stripped of his Parliamentary immunity, the wagging he received from prosecuting magistrates and the disgrace he endured when he was thrown into jail, that he had learned his lesson- but far from that. He continues along the paths that landed him in trouble and in prison, however brief he stayed there. Stories of his highhandedness continue to be reported and he goes where and when he wants. For those who doubt it, Fon Doh is the embodiment of impunity in the North West Region!
His case is, no doubt, setting an unfortunate precedent in Cameroon’s legal history and wrangling. Those who had or have the courage to face Fon Doh have had or may pay a heavy price. Has the court not found him guilty of killing John Kohtem for daring to oppose him? Even though a criminal, is he not going about his business unperturbed? Does he not continue to pull the strings from the background as magistrates bent on prosecuting him have been transferred from the North West Region to other parts of the country? Have many of those sentenced with Fon Doh not been surreptitiously released, while three of those who testified against him not still languishing in jail?
For political reasons judicial decorum has been sacrificed on the altar of injustice and a miscreant has become more influencial in his community than the innocent- a true reversal of values. Even in the face of what many see as Fon Doh’s “omnipotence”, courageous people drawn from different churches, political parties, civil movements and the media, have not allowed their voices to be gagged. They believe the voice of a people is the voice of God and that a man cannot win judgement against his people no matter how hard he tries.
Contrary to what many believe, things have moved a step forward as Fon Doh’s appeal “may” be heard after all. He may be acquitted but the decision would have been the Court’s not Fon Doh’s. The courage of the men and women who are bringing pressure to bear on legal authorities needs to be saluted. They are daring to stick out their heads in an evidently slippery environment. Those who think silence is the best protection have got it all wrong, for they killed John Kohtem and they remained silent, they are threatening to kill the journalists speaking out or writing about this case and they will remain silent and when next they come after the “silent”, there will be nobody left to speak out on their behalf !
Great article!!!
Posted by: Andy Bessong | April 29, 2010 at 02:50 AM