Minister of Justice: An Epitome of Government’s Criminal Conspiracy
Amadou Ali (Minister of Justice and Vice-Prime Minister)
CCDHR condemns the recent statement by the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals that convicted felon Doh Gah Gwanyin, a regime supporter, was not a “convict”. This shameful move by the Minister was made during a question and answer session at the National Assembly on December 8. Doh Gah Gwanyin, the controversial traditional ruler of Balikumbat, it should be noted, is an ardent supporter of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) and is the CPDM Member of Parliament (MP) for Balikumbat.

Doh Gah was convicted by the Ndop High Court for the premeditated murder and personal participation in the beating to death of John Kohtem. The victim who was chairman of the opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF) in Balikumbat had publicly challenged Doh Gah’s numerous election-rigging practices and other tyrannical predispositions in Balikumbat, a village of the North West Province of Cameroon. This happened during the build-up to the 2004 Presidential Elections in Cameroon. Relentless public pressure finally ended the long-drawn-out investigation and numerous court adjournments and the case proceeded to trial with the conviction of Doh Gah and members of his criminal gang.

To the consternation of many right-minded people, Doh Gah was released just three months into his 15 years prison term by the North West Provincial Appeals Court on the pretext of poor health, a decision that was denounced by PICAM. Rather than follow the law and strip Doh Gah of his parliamentary immunity and forfeit his salary as MP, the government through the Minister of Justice seems to have engaged in a scheme to baptize Doh Gah as a non-convict merely because he has been granted bail and is conviction on appeal.

It is surprising that the Minister of Justice who is supposed to be a lawyer by profession so desperately needs a professional development course in basic legal education. CCDHR is willing to volunteer this badly needed help. Sir, A convict is a person who has been convicted of a criminal offence (murder in the case of Doh Gah). A convict, after conviction, generally becomes a prisoner (in the case of Doh Gah 15 years in prison). Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences do not usually bear the label "convict" (does not apply to Doh Gah because he was sentence to a prison term).

Doh Gah’s situation satisfies the above generally accepted definition of a convict. He was convicted of the crime of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The fact that he has appealed his conviction does not make him to cease being a convict, at least, not until his conviction is overturned on appeal. Therefore the Minister’s statement that Doh Gah is not a convict merely because he has appealed his conviction is not only erroneous, but also a clear indication of the corrupt nature of this government, and the extent to which top members of this regime will go to preserve their corrupt and criminal enterprise.

It is inconceivable that mere suspects within the Cameroon criminal justice system who are seriously sick have usually been denied access to medical care with incidents of death, while a convicted murderer was let loose on bogus health reasons. CCDHR is very concerned for the safety of opponents of Doh Gah and witnesses to the case against him. Doh Gah's activities since his release has not been consistent with that of a person in ill heath. He continues to mobilize his criminal apparatus and is accordingly a grave and growing danger to social justice in Balikumbat and Cameroon in general. CCDHR is calling on the Minister of Justice to reconsider his statement in alignment with the administration of justice. The Minister must remind his conscience of the principle of “rule of law” whereby no “one is above the law”. The Minister must note that his job is to uphold the laws of the country, instead of paying allegiance to his boss and criminal regime elements.

By establishing a different standard of justice for ordinary citizens and another for regime elements and sympathizers, the Minister is effectively promoting lawlessness in the country. CCDHR deplores this double standards that exist in Cameroon in the administration of justice and the negative repercussions this may have on the society. The judiciary must be allowed to function independently so as to provide citizens the justifications to seek justice through lawfully established mechanisms. CCDHR is accordingly calling on the government to allow the courts to carry out their duty of administering justice in the country according to established laws, without undue influence from the regime.