Justice Denied

Some 54 detainees who had completed their prison terms but who remained languishing in the Yaounde Kondengui Central prison as a result of administrative delays in file processing have regained their freedom.

The prisoners were sentenced by the Yaounde Court of First Instance for light crimes such as trickery and simple theft, according to George Gerard Meka, State Council at the Yaounde Court of First Instance. The act represents the practical implementation of the decision of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals ordering magistrates to ensure the freeing of prisoners who have completed their prison terms in a bit among others to decongest the Yaounde Kondengui prison. In effect, the Kondengui prison is said to have a capacity of 1,500 places for inmates but presently hosts 4,169 detainees, 1,168 of whom are effectively imprisoned and the rest simply on detention.

The liberalisation of the 54 detainees opens an important page in the whole process to decongest Cameroonian prisons. The whole issue here might not only be on the number of prisoners freed but on the significance of the act. The number, to say the least is quite insignificant to go by the State council who himself indicated that he would have expected to see many more people regain their families. What is however important to note is that the operation will continue and certainly stretch to the rest of the prisons in the country.

But many Cameroonians have not stopped questioning why the situation had to come to this stage where people are judged and declared free but remain kept in custody not of their own fault but that of the administrators who have failed in their duty. These are some of the things that make the justice department continue to occupy frontline row in the classification of most corrupt corps in the country.  After observing this state of affairs, someone declared in anger, that this is surely the results of kickbacks.

Whether or not this is true is another debate. But it hurts to imagine someone in prison simply because his file has not been processed. And that this is coming from the justice department that has as mission to ensure justice, is something to worry about. Justice delay, they say in legal jargon, is justice denied. This saying certainly does not only pertain to passing judgment on time but equally to executing justice at the appropriate time. What is happening in Kondengui prison is just a tip of the iceberg.

If one were to take some time and witness court proceedings, one will be shock at what happens there. The majority of the cases in each session are adjourned and of course making culprits overtly frustrated. The consequences are sometimes very devastating. Cases abound where people end up dyeing in prison without judgement and who knows, that could be the result of frustration.

Cameroon, they say, is a country of law. This does not simply mean that the country has laws or that it has good laws but above all that the laws whether good or bad are scrupulously respected. That is where the shoe pinches. The disturbing issue is that the disrespect of the law is coming from people who know the law. Perhaps all this is happening because the law generally does not have emotions or takes little consideration for emotions. Otherwise, how does one feel seeing people continue to serve prison terms for which they no longer merit.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Cameroonians generally take things rather lying down. Otherwise, they would have perpetually been at loggerhead with the State in the courts of law for disrespect of justice. With the pious hope that things will change for the better, it is important to recall that such acts amount to denial of justice and to a certain extent disrespect of human rights which government herself has not stopped condemning.