Paul Eric Kingué leaves prison today

A week after his release by the supreme court in Yaoundé, Paul Eric Kingue will leave his cell at New-Bell central prison in Douala on Thursday, July 23, 2015. He completed the administrative procedure yesterday.

The ex-Mayor of the rural town of Njombe-Penja will freely go back home after about seven years of deprivation of liberty marked by a long judicial process full of twists and turns.

Accused of embezzlement of public funds and inciting revolt, an accusation which he always maintained his innocence, he notified the Supreme Court to decide on the dicey case. The High Court issued its verdict after two references on Thursday, July 16, 2015.

The judges decided to break for defect and violation of procedure the sentences by the lower courts which deprived Paul Eric Kingué of his freedom for about seven years.

“There were two procedures before the Supreme Court: convictions for incitement to revolt during the riots of February 2008 and for misappropriation of State property at the municipality of Njombe - Penja.” In my document, I condemned all those decisions because I felt that the procedure has not been respected.

The Supreme Court followed me in my reasoning, by cancelling the Nkongsamba judgements by the Court of first instance and the judgments of the Court of appeal of the Littoral. When the mandate of pre-trial detention was signed in Nkongsamba, the Supreme Court lifted the term of his detention.

“After the Supreme Court ordered the release of Paul Eric Kingué, it then noted that if people want to repeat the procedure, it would restart again in Nkongsamba. But, Paul Eric Kingue must get out of jail,” explained master Manfo René, Paul Eric Kingué’s Council, after the acquittal of his client.