Issa Tchiroma reacts to the case of Lydienne Eyoum

Since the weekly, Jeune Afrique published more than three weeks ago the compromising information on the situation of the ex-rebel Guerandi Mbara Goulongo, the Minister of Communication and spokesman of the Government of Cameroon has remained curiously silent so far.

However, only one week after the sentence of Lydienne Eyoum, French lawyer of Cameroonian origin to 25 years in prison for embezzlement of public funds, Issa Tchiroma held Friday, October 3, 2014 in his services in Yaounde, a press conference to respond to those who argued or professionals who criticized the verdict handed down on 26 September by the Yaoundé special criminal court.

"It is regrettable to observe for a while that the political argument is routinely brandished whenever public action is set in motion to put indicted litigants under the successive prosecutions for acts of embezzlement of public funds. Regarding this case, some are trying to argue otherwise because of the foreign nationality of Lydienne Eyoum as they even demand her release and declare at the same time her judicial immunity.

"There are Cameroonians prosecuted and incarcerated in foreign countries (for example the artist Longue Longue imprisoned in France). Cameroon respects the sovereignty of these countries as well as the independence of their judiciary. Moreover, it is established in accordance with the law, article 37 of law No. 59 of 19 December 1990 on the organisation of the profession of law, that the funds received by a counsel in his capacity as agent for a client does not belong to him and that they must be placed in a special account entitled customer account and not in a personal account. It was on this basis that the special criminal court in Yaoundé found the accused guilty and sentenced her to 25 years imprisonment."