Albatros Case: Atangana Mebara rejects Judge Wanky

At Wednesday's hearing at the Special Criminal Court (TCS), in the absence of the accused Jean Marie Atangana Mebara, former Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, and his new lawyer, Alice Nkom, it was revealed that Atanga Mebara rejected SGPR’s collegiality, Richard Wanky.

The reason for his decision was not cited. But informed sources stated that the accused does not want Wanky as judge in the embezzlement of public funds case. “That could be the reason why the magistrate did not appear at the hearing yesterday,” our source stated. The court is not properly constituted and considering the request for a new adjournment sent by the counsel for the accused, Alice Nkom, the next hearing was set for July 28.

The former SGPR is been prosecuted for misappropriation of public funds which includes the failed acquisition of an aircraft for the official travels of head of state.

Jean Marie Atangana Mebara, who has been regular in court since the trial opened in TCS, was absent yesterday. "Why is the accused not here? Has he not been extracted?" were some of the questions Magistrate Michel Onana, representative of the public prosecutor asked.

To him, it indicated that all provisions relating to his withdrawal were aloof. The July 28 meeting remains highly anticipated.