Balikumbat mayor sentenced to 8 years in prison

Holding on June 9, 2016, in Ndop and presided over by His Lordship Achu Francis, the Court of First Instance Ndop examined a case pitting the people of Cameroon versus Wasum Augustine (Mayor Balikumbat Council) and five others concerning the disappearance of a particular 14-year-old girl by name Iyeh Temdika Precious.

Her disappearance was sometime last June 2015 and a judgment was passed per suit No: CFIND/20C/2015 condemning the act with respect to section 353 of the penal code.

According to the ruling, Wasum Augustine, Bodga Maxwell, Sama Gilbert, Pedkungha Hoseni Wasum and Tahnfon Simon Talam have been sentenced to 8 years and charged a fine of FCFA 400.000 each with a civil party claim of FCFA 30.000.000 and a proceedings cost of FCFA 238.200 while one other Yenyi Divine, who is on the run, was sentenced to nine (9) years in prison and a warrant of arrest issued for him.

The said girl disappeared in June 2015 and had not been seen since then. She is a daughter to one of the councilors of Balikumbat Council by name Nwanyek Philip and is said to have been a close friend to the Mayor.

The victims have 10 days to appeal before the North West Court of Appeal if they are dissatisfied with the judgment.