Cameroon: Newspaper publisher detained for criticizing government official

Though the law of the republic of Cameroon provides for freedom of speech and of the press, government however continues to restrict these rights in practice.

Government sometimes arbitrarily arrest journalists and most often reminds them about libel laws in an effort to warn them against printing false information or defaming individuals. In effect those who are chicken hearted sometimes practice self‑censorship while others prefer to bell the cat.
One of the country’s firebrand journalists, Eric Motumu, is currently in pre-trial detention at the judicial police of the North West region.
Reports say Eric Motumu, who doubles as publisher of the Chronicle newspaper, was arrested recently by agents of the judicial police noted for arresting journalist on government’s instructions.
Motumu, is being held on libel-related charges following an article titled “Scandal at presidency: Philemon Yang ‘pockets’ micro-grants, car loan, salary of Oku MP” published by his newspaper, early last month.

Touched by the power of the article and probably by the truth it contains, Philemon Yang, assistant secretary general at the presidency, claimed the said article injured his reputation. Consequently, Yang, who is being rumored to be the next prime mister and head of government of the republic of Cameroon, noted for human rights violation reportedly filed the suit that led to Motumu’s arrest and subsequent detention.
His arrest came a couple of weeks after continuous search by elements of the judicial police following an arrest warrant issued by the state counsel in Bamenda

Eric Motumu, who was out of town, was immediately picked up as soon as the police got wind that he had returned.
When the police presented him to the state counsel after his arrest they were asked to grille him for preliminary investigations on the matter.
Though colleagues and human rights activists are said to be mounting pressure on the judicial authorities to release the detained journalist, charges against him were far to be dropped.
Cameroon, a country noted for bad governance and all what it takes to describe a bad regime, is noted for arresting, torturing and jailing of journalists under life threatening conditions.