· -Close aides narrate Inoni, Forjindam ordeal in jail
· -Reading, prayers, jugging characterize their daily
activities in jail
By Sylvanus Ezieh Acha’ana in Yaounde
The appeals filed by the former prime minister, Chief Ephraim Thomas Inoni and the former
Chantier Naval general manager, Zacheus Mungwe Forjindam against their 25-year
jail term and life jail respectively have been grounded.
Forjindam was served a life jail by the Wouri high
court in 2010 for swindling Chantier Naval funds while Inoni was handed a
25-year jail term in 2013 for embezzling money meant for the purchase of the
presidential plane. Both men long appealed the judgments which have since not
been called up for hearing.
The development has left their relatives worried that
the Yaounde authorities do not have any intention to reduce their jail terms or
even free them some day.
A close aide to Forjindam who spoke to The Guardian
Post by phone yesterday described the former Chantier Naval general manager’s
life in the New Bell prison as hell. He said apart from the frequent harassment
by other inmates of the prison, Forjindam’s cell is not only smaller in size
but is shorter; compared to his height. Hear him: “Forjindam can only bow to
enter his cell that has only a small bunk bed…my brother, Forjindam is living
in hell…’’
While relatives say Chief Inoni is no longer crying as
he used to do at the time he was just arrested, they however regretted that
like Forjindam, inmates at the Yaounde Kondengui prison were always at his
door-steps with the beggar’s bowl. “Chief Inoni is permanently under harassment
from prisoners and even warders who mistakenly think that he still has so
much,” a close aide told The Guardian Post.
It was revealed that unlike Forjindam, Inoni has a
spacious room with a TV set and a sizable bed. His wife, Gladys Inoni, we were
told, is allowed to visit him regularly while friends and sympathizers are
allowed to visit the Bakingili traditional ruler every Thursday and Saturday.
Close aides also hinted that both Chief Inoni and
Forjindam spend most of their time reading, praying and jugging.
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