Cameroon: an influential businessman, suspected of being involved in murder of journalist

In his program “Business of alleged corruption affairs”, Martinez Zogo regularly questioned Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, deemed close to several ministers and senior state officials.

MO12345lemonde with AFP

An influential businessman in Cameroon, Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, was charged on Saturday March 4, for “complicity in torture”, suspected of being involved in the murder of Martinez Zogo, a journalist kidnapped then killed After being tortured on January 22, his lawyer, Charles Tchoungang.

m. Amougou Belinga, deemed close to several ministers and senior state officials, had been arrested on February 6: he was presented “in the night” before the military court of the capital, Yaoundé, then placed in pre -trial detention, explained his lawyer. A source in the military court confirmed this information to AFP under the cover of anonymity.

Solicited, the authorities have not declared anything more about other charges, but several people suspected in this case were also presented to the military court in the evening of Friday, March 3, according to an AFP journalist on site.

“placed under deposit warrant” in a Yaoundé prison

m. Belinga “was placed under a deposit warrant (…) at Kondengui’s main prison” after being “presented before an investigating judge at the military court,” a group of media said in a statement.

removed on January 17 by strangers in the suburbs of the capital before a gendarmerie post, Arsène Salomon Mbani Zogo, known as “Martinez”, 50, had been found dead five days later. “His body obviously suffered important abuse,” said the government.

Martinez Zogo denounced corruption at the microphone of his program “Bouting of alleged corruption affairs”. He regularly challenged Mr. Amougou Belinga, owner of many groups of companies in the fields of banking, finance, insurance, real estate and the media, including the daily anecdote, televisions Vision 4 and Telesud as well as the FM satellite radio, all renowned for power.

/Media reports cited above.