Inoni, Forjindam appeals grounded

The appeals filed by the former prime minister, Chief Ephraim Thomas Inoni and the former Chantier Naval general manager, Zacheus Mungwe Forjindam against their 25-year jail term and life jail respectively have been grounded.

Forjindam was to serve a life jail by the Wouri high court in 2010 for swindling Chantier Naval funds while Inoni was given a 25-year jail term in 2013 for embezzling money meant for the purchase of the presidential plane.

Both men long appealed to the judgments which have since not been called up for hearing. The development has left their relatives worried that the Yaounde authorities do not have any intention to reduce their jail terms or even free them some day.

A close aide to Forjindam who spoke to The Guardian Post by phone yesterday described the former Chantier Naval general manager’s life in the New Bell prison as hell. He said, apart from the frequent harassment by other inmates of the prison, Forjindam’s cell is not only smaller in size but is shorter; compared to his height. According to him, “Forjindam can only bow to enter his cell that has only a small bunk bed… my brother, Forjindam is living in hell…’’

While relatives say Chief Inoni is no longer crying as he used to do at the time he was arrested, they however regretted that like Forjindam, inmates at the Yaounde Kondengui prison were always at his door-steps with the beggar’s bowl. “Chief Inoni is permanently under harassment from prisoners and even warders who mistakenly think that he still has so much,” a close aide told The Guardian Post.

It was revealed that unlike Forjindam, Inoni has a spacious room with a TV set and a sizable bed. His wife, Gladys Inoni, we were told, is allowed to visit him regularly while friends and sympathizers are allowed to visit the Bakingili traditional ruler every Thursday and Saturday.

Close aides also hinted that both Chief Inoni and Forjindam spend most of their time reading and praying.