They should cease judging our nation - Tchiroma

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Cameroon's Minister of Communication (Mincom), has reacted on the judgment of the Supreme Court that endorsed the conviction of Lydienne Yen Eyoum to 25 years in prison. The conviction was followed by an advice from officials of the UN High Commission on the "arbitrary detention" of the French lawyer from Cameroon.

The member of the Cameroonian government stressed that the trial of the French lawyer from Cameroon, had proceeded in a fair and impartial manner, in view of that, the Constitution of Cameroon enshrines the separation of powers.

"The government is prohibited in any way whatsoever of an interference with the judiciary in the name of separation of powers stipulated by our Constitution. The judiciary is independent of the executive. Needless to say I have great difficulty in making a judgment of the same value as to the verdict that the Supreme Court made freely", argued Issa Tchiroma Bakary to reporters of CRTV, the public media in the capital.

The Government official said they are doing everything to stay "away from everything related to the judiciary."

On the position of the working group, Issa Tchiroma called the attention of the consular authorities that "justice was based on the Code of Criminal Procedure. Throughout the process, the code of criminal procedure was respected. I challenge anyone to prove that there was a flaw in the compliance or the application of the Criminal Procedure Code or the Criminal Code of our nation," he added.

"They must therefore continue to make a case with our criminal code, and stop making slanderous accusations which is detrimental to the honor of our government, our country and the leader of our nation. Now we will be careful and demanding, over everything that tends to stroke against the law, undermine our dignity and our general pride," concluded the Yang Philemon government spokesman, referring in passing the anti-French sentiment that often was perceived, through Cameroon.