UN demands release of Paul Eric Kingue

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde

 

Kingue

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, UNHCHR has called for the release, without further delay and conditions, of the jailed former mayor of Njombe Penja, Paul Eric Kingue.
A pro-Kingue pressure group recently announced the commission’s decision urging the government of Cameroon to free Kingue.

After the 70^th session of the commission which focussed on cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, the UNHCHR addressed letters to Cameroon officials, stating that Kingue’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment was ‘arbitrary’ as per the council’s procedures. 

Kingue’s defence counsel had even earlier on submitted that there were a lot of irregularities in the handling of their client’s case. They pointed out the fragrant violation of articles 3, 40, and 41 of the Cameroon criminal procedure code which stipulates that persons under judicial scrutiny must be informed of their charges. Again, Kingue was arrested in 2008 without an arrest warrant.

Yaounde authorities have on their part always maintained that Kingue’s arrest and conviction of embezzlement followed due legal procedures.

However, part of the UNHCHR official letter highlights that the government of Cameroon should put an immediate end to the incarceration as well as pay the victim for damages.

We also gathered that a notice in relation to the UNHCHR decision had been sent to Paul Eric Kingue who has been languishing at the Douala New Bell prison since 2008.

It is worth noting that UNHCHR which is a United Nations’ agency was instrumental in the successful liberation of Thierry Michel Atangana and Pierre Desire Engo who were also alleged to be political prisoners.
The UN’s recent move to orchestrate Paul Eric Kingue’s freedom comes to join calls made by other international organisations like Transparency International which vindicated the jailed former Njombe Penja mayor in one of their investigative reports earlier this year.