Chris Mbunwe
21 April 2008
Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, MINATD, Boss, Marafa Amidou Yaya, CRTV General Manager, Amadou Vamoulke, and Cameroon Tribune's publisher, Marie Claire Nana, have been served with summons from the Mezam Magistrate Court to appear in Bamenda on May 5, to answer defamation charges against SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi.
As contained in a four-page summons served by Sheriff Bailiff, Alain Ngongang, the first defendant, Minister Marafa, on March 10, in Yaounde, held a press conference in which he made "false, malicious, unprovoked,
unjustified, direct and indirect imputations of facts with reference to the complainant, John Fru Ndi, which facts were broadcast and rebroadcast over television network and radio stations and carried in Cameroon Tribune edition No 9055/5254 of 11/03/2008 page 2."
"On the same page of the afore cited publication, a journalist of the 5th defendant whose identity was stated as M.A.N in an article titled 'Startling revelations'... Marafa said ... a notorious criminal, who had jumped cell in New Bell Prison, Douala, was spotted in Bamenda in Chairman Fru Ndi's car.
The criminal was later on arrested and taken back to prison in Douala .... .," reads the summons in part.A battery of Fru Ndi's lawyers led by Barrister Francis Sama, opined that these publications were not only broadcast several times and published, but the defendants posted it their websites.
According to Fru Ndi's lawyers, the publications were made with malice, calculated to reflect on the reputation of Fru Ndi, intended to lower him in the estimation of right thinking members of society and to make Cameroonians to shun and hate Fru Ndi.
Lawyers holding brief for Fru Ndi argue that Marafa, who made "these statements knowing fully well that they were false and with serious imputations, caused Cameroon Tribune and CRTV to publish and broadcast without verifying the truth or accuracy.
In order to restore his reputation and respect Fru Ndi, through his solicitors, wrote to the defendants severally, demanding an apology and offer of amends but Marafa and co. gave a deaf ear.
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