The death of journalism in Cameroon: Former CRTV GM languishing in Kondengui 0

From the greatest high to the greatest low at the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), the detention without trial for nearly four years of Amadou Vamoulké the former general manager of the Cameroon public broadcaster has again regenerated a massive under-the-table talk in the nation’s capital Yaoundé and the detained senior French Cameroun political elite has reiterated his claim of being a victim of a Beti Ewondo conspiracy.

The 70 year old Vamoulké was appointed General Manager of CRTV in January 2005 and was sacked in June 2016 after spending 11 years as head of the Cameroon Radio and Television Cooperation. A month later, in July 2016, he was placed under a provisional detention order at Yaoundé-Kondengui Central Prison.

Amadou Vamoulké like many others held in the same facility is suspected of embezzling several billion of CFA francs when he was head of CRTV. The Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime in Yaoundé has maintained a kind of deliberate silence despite receiving signals incessantly flashed out by renowned international media organizations including Reporters Without Borders for his release.

Vamoulké, who has been very discreet throughout this difficult time has made his first public outing on social media entitled “The Truth of Revenge“, which he painted himself as a Cameroonian more sinned against than sinning. He considers himself an innocent man whose human rights are being violated by men and women who wanted the job of GM at CRTV.

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources have revealed that Vamoulké may die in detention. He has been deprived of medical examination and treatment appropriate to his recently diagnosed severe neuropathy and he is running the risk of losing his lower limbs.

In his posting on social media he repeatedly observed that “I am well aware that openly exposing today the hostage-taking of my country’s justice system is not likely to move the incriminated actors who still believe themselves to be unshakeable”.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with intelligence files from Asu Isong and Rita Akana