Samuel Gotingar pleads not guilty

Hearing in the Toubouro Council Case has been adjourned to May 7, 2014 for the defence to present its list of witnesses.

Hearing in the embezzlement case pitting the State of Cameroon and the Touboro Council against Samuel Gotingar, former municipal treasurer at the Touboro council has begun. The first session took place yesterday April 15, 2014 at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde. The audience that waited anxiously for the court session went home rather disappointed as the session was brief. For some, it would have been good for the case to begin fully as the accused has been behind bars for more than one year.

The session before a panel of judges led by the Vice President of the Court, Mr. Justice Francis Moukoury, began at 10:39 a.m. After the verification of the prosecution and the defence benches, the court registrar went ahead to read the counts against Samuel Gotingar. The accused was then called up by the presiding judge to make his identity known to the court.

According to the case file, Samuel Gotingar is accused of embezzling FCFA 66,760,779 belonging to the Touboro Council when he was municipal treasurer for the Touboro Council between 2012 and 2013. The act is contrary to Articles 74 and 184 of the Penal Code. Francis Moukoury sought to know whether he was guilty of embezzlement or not. The accused pleaded not guilty. Advocate General, Jean Claude Taghim, said the civil bench had already sent in the list of prosecution witnesses for the case to begin.

On his part, defence lawyer, Barrister Georges Armand Mondoe said he had to study the file and prepare a list of witnesses. He therefore pleaded for the court to give him some time for the purpose since the supposed witnesses are in the North Region. The presiding judge then adjourned the hearing to May 7, 2014 for the defence bench to present the list of witnesses.

Samuel Gotingar was arrested on February 1, 2013 and was immediately placed in detention at the Tcholliré Prison. He was questioned by the Gendarmerie Legion in Toubooro in May 2013. The case file was later sent to the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde. Samuel Gotingar is presently awaiting trial at the Kondengui Central Prison.