Kumbo: Lawyer in court over alleged defamation

The outgoing Senior State Counsel for Bui, Mr. Justice Taminang Ateh Ignatius, has clarified that the Kumbo Water Authority crisis is not yet in court, but some of its staff have taken Barrister Joseph Akuwiyadze to court.

He is accused of defamation under Section 305 of the Penal Code that reads: “Whoever by any means injures the reputation of another person which he is unable to prove shall be punished with imprisonment from six days to six months with a fine from 5,000 CFA to two million CFA.”

Speaking to the press in his office recently, Mr. Justice Taminang said some people lodged a complaint at the State Counsel’s Chambers against Barrister Joseph Akuwiyadze for allegedly making contemptuous and disparaging allegations against their persons on radio.

He said the complainants are highly aggrieved that they have been slandered and their reputations tarnished by someone who has taken upon himself on a daily basis to make disparaging remarks against their persons, alleging for instance that they have embezzled huge sums of money from the Kumbo Water Authority.

“We followed the normal procedure after receiving the complaint by forwarding it to the Gendarmerie Company Commander for investigations. He took statements from the parties and later on escorted the suspect to us and we proceeded to do what we call in law a report of interrogation in the Legal Department. This is an offence committed while the investigation is going on,” Justice Taminang explained.

The Senior State Counsel revealed that criminal procedures will commence against Barrister Joseph Akuwiyadze in court on Monday, August 10, 2015 as investigations had already been completed. Mr. Justice Taminang Ateh Ignatius disclosed that Barrister Akuwiyadze voluntarily appeared before the investigator when summoned, and so no custody order or warrant of arrest was issued against him. In the meantime, Barrister Akuwiyadze is on self-bail.