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Legal Action
August
Paddy Mbawa, Cameroon Post, LEGAL ACTION
Mbawa, publisher of the independent Cameroon Post, was released from prison during the last week of August after serving 11 months of two consecutive six-month sentences. Mbawa was sentenced on July 13, 1995, for libeling an insurance company executive. The Cameroon Post alleged that the executive had embezzled money from the company.
August 8
Gaston Ekawalla, La Détente, LEGAL ACTION
La Détente, CENSORED
Ekawalla, a journalist with the newspaper La Détente, was sentenced to five months in prison and fined 1,000 CFA (US$200) for defaming a member of Parliament, Albert Dzongang. The newspaper was suspended from publishing for six months. The verdict was in connection with an article in the Aug. 18, 1993, edition of La Détente, which said that Dzongang had been involved in an illegal network that was issuing false diplomatic passports. At year's end, Ekawalla had not started serving his sentence.
October 3
Pius Njawe, Le Messager Popoli, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
Eyoum Ngangue, Le Messager Popoli, LEGAL ACTION
An appeals court for the Littoral region upheld the libel conviction of Njawe, publisher for the newspaper Le Messager Popoli, and Ngangue, a journalist with the paper. The two had been charged with insulting the president and members of the National Assembly and disseminating "false news." Their conviction was in connection with a satirical article in the December 1995 issue of Le Messager Popoli. Njawe was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and a 100,000 CFA (US$200) fine, and Ngangue to one year in prison and a 300,000 CFA (US$600) fine. The sentences invalidated a Feb. 27 verdict from the Court of First Instance in Douala, under which the two had only been fined. Njawe was arrested on Oct. 29 by judicial police for the Littoral region and taken to judicial police headquarters, then transferred to New Bell prison in Douala. The court issued a warrant for Ngangue's arrest, but he has not been detained. In early November, Cameroon authorities refused to issue a visa to a representative of the World Association of Newspapers, who had been scheduled to visit Cameroon on Nov. 12-13 to meet with Njawe in prison and with government officials to discuss Njawe's case. Njawe was granted bail on Nov. 14 and released the next day. His Supreme Court appeal should be heard within a few months.
For more information contact africaweb@cpj.org