IRGM/Alexandre Bekono Trial Defence Counsel Absent

Three staff of the Mining and Geological Research Institute (IRGM) accused of misappropriating equipment worth FCFA 100 million were present at the Special Criminal Court yesterday June 24, 2013 to start testifying as defence witnesses in a case opposing them to the Legal Department and IRGM. However, the hearing could not proceed as lawyers for Alexandre Yem Bekono, Augustin Kidarsia, Tchuipang and Augustin Béa were all absent.

In granting Advocate General Isaïe Ngatcha's request for an adjournment, the panel of judges presided over by Mrs Justice Virginie Eloundou urged the accused to endeavour to have their counsels present in the next hearing fixed for June 28, 2013. Yesterday's session follows the partial submissions of Advocate General Isaie Ngatcha on June 5, 2013. In effect, Isaie Ngatcha submitted that the examination of various prosecution witnesses revealed that the accused were guilty and thus had the possibility to defend themselves.

He abundantly cited the testimony on oath of the Director of IRGM, Joseph Victor Hell, on May 29, 2013 who as prosecution witness said he filed a complaint against X after it came to his knowledge that equipement worth FCFA 100 million had been stolen. Investigations by the gendarmerie that led to the questioning of the three accused.

He explained that security at IRGM's office in Yaounde was ensured by two teams. The team that worked in the day was composed of IRGM watchmen while while the nightwatch team comprised one watchman employed by IRGM and another deployed by the DAK Security company. Reports from persons presumably implicated in the theft affirmed that the act was committed between 4pm and 7pm on October 15, 2003 and that the heavy material could only be transported by a vehicle.

Furthermore, during the said interval, Alexandre Yem Bekono, technician cartographer-designer and key person in the laboratory had left the premises without waiting for replacement. Two night-watchmen had taken service after 6pm. It was only at 11am the next day that the theft was uncovered and signalled by security guard Augustin Kidarsia. Augustin Béa, laboratory chief since 2001, who was responsible for ensuring the security of six microscopes that were stolen was absent at the time of the theft.

In the face of the Advocate General's submission, the accused opted to mount their defence by testifying on oath with Augustin Bea expected to mount the witness box and kick-start the questioning of defence witnesses, hopefully on June 28, 2013.