A military court in Yaounde, in the Cameroonian capital, adjourned the case of ten (10) pro-independence Anglophone leaders. The complaint held by the State of Cameroon on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 was returned to Thursday, March 7, 2019, held National Telegraph.
In the high court martial, the state presented copies of the accused's identity cards, our source said, adding that Defense counsel had rejected her, citing photocopies as proof of nationality.
"Only certified copies accompanied by the originals of the document can be considered," said the Defense, saying that only a certificate of nationality could confer nationality.
The Defense allegedly submitted documents from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), corroborating the fact that the defendants are refugees and asylum seekers, the National Telegraph has learned.
According to reports, the state had rejected the documents, dubbed counterfeit, citing the same reference number. An eyewitness told Telegraph National Defense that the referencing was not Anglo-Saxon.
A recces would be called later; The National Telegraph is informed. The judge returned and confirmed to the accused the nationality of Cameroon. He also confirmed that the defendants were refugees and asylum seekers but that the military court had jurisdiction to try them, confirmed Francis Ajumane, a journalist in the court.
The defense lawyer chooses to appeal the Court of Appeal's decision that the judge dismisses, forcing the lawyers to organize a walkout, Francis added.
A jurist at the court said: the judge said in his decision; documents relating to their nationality have been admitted (4), four of the accused are refugees, six (6) have applied for refugee status, the fact that the accused have refugee status does not confer any immunity and that the military court is competent to hear the case.
On the basis of this information, the judge asked the clerk of the court to read the charges to the defendants, an eyewitness said, adding that lawyer Etta Bessong, one of the defense lawyers, had objected, by informing the judge that the defense would appeal.
According to reported information, the judge refused and insisted that the defendants get their plea, all the lawyers (nearly 100) left the courtroom.
The leaders, we were told, were instructed not to plead in any way without their lawyers. The judge also prohibited the accused from wearing a hat and holding a wand at the next hearing.
Judge Ayah Paul Abine, one of the lawyers appearing before the court, examined the special file of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, source in the military court of Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital. path took place said National Telegraph.
The accused Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine other leaders of southern Cameroon, kidnapped in Nigeria a year ago, had to prove they were refugees and asylum seekers in Nigeria. A source has now confirmed that UNHCR's special evidence file has been presented to the court.
Leaders face charges related to terrorism.Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius and nine others were arrested in Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon under conditions considered illegal.
The president of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, as he is now called, is currently imprisoned in Kondengui's main prison in Yaounde, where he is accused of terrorism, along with other relatives.
Armed groups emerged by fighting with regime soldiers to support the creation of a new country. Ambazonia. Ambazonia is an outlawed country in which the majority of its residents; Anglophone regions are seeking to create.
The Biya administration blamed the insurgency on Sisiku and others. US diplomats and representatives of the European Union (EU) attended the proceedings.
It should be noted that the hearing of AYUK TABE & Co. was postponed until March 7th. And also, the accused are asked not to present themselves with their traditional dresses and even less their traditional canes.
At the end of the trial, the Ambazonian separatist leaders launched the following message in English: "stay strong good people this country is going to change".
Source:camerounweb.com/nationaltelegraph.net