By a presidential decree made public this night of December 19, 2023, the President of the Republic appoints Jean Pierre Robins Ghoumo, Director General of the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE). The diplomat who was until now in service at the general secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic replaces Lépold Maxime Eko Eko in this position.
Another decree appoints Mesmin Magloire Aristide Eloundou to the post of Deputy Director General at the DGRE.
Thus, Paul Biya turns a page in this institution shaken for eleven months by a scandal involving the assassination of radio host Martinez Zogo. The presenter of Bottling on Amplitude FM was kidnapped on January 17, 2022 and his body, in an advanced state of decomposition and showing traces of torture, was discovered on the morning of January 22, 2022 in a grove in the village of Ebogo 3, in a suburb from the university town of Soa, near Yaoundé. The investigations ordered by the Presidency of the Republic led to the arrest of businessman Jean Pierre Amougou Bélinga, presented as suspect number one; but also, a good group of people including Maxime Eko Eko. But information from the file currently under investigation at the Yaoundé Military Court, the radio host who denounced the country’s poor governance and in particular the misappropriation of public funds, was kidnapped and tortured by Intelligence elements, with lieutenant Justin Danwé, director of operations at the DGRE, as commando leader. It was the latter who named many other people in the case. Several elements of General Intelligence were thus arrested.
On the same subject: Martinez Zogo case: judge Sikati dismissed
This is certainly a sign in the continuation of this affair which seems to have been going in circles for almost a year. Especially since the suspects have remained at their posts since the outbreak of this affair. The replacement of Maxime Eko Eko comes a few weeks after an aborted release of the latter and Jean Pierre Amougou Bélinga. Judge Sikati, who was investigating the case, signed an order for the release of the two men, before withdrawing, insinuating a false document. The man was replaced as; and last Monday, as instructor in the Martinez Zogo case.
