For 729 days, the body of Martinez Zogo , the radio host whose remains were discovered on January 22, 2023, about 15 kilometers northeast of Yaoundé, has remained at the Yaoundé Central Hospital morgue.
According to his family’s lawyer, Calvin Job, a funeral is currently impossible. “Martinez Zogo’s body is a piece of evidence. In this sense, the court needs it,” Job explained following the January 13th hearing.
The trial, which began at the Military Tribunal in March 2024, has been plagued by significant delays, as highlighted by Job. He criticized the repeated postponements, stating, “This slow pace also hinders the burial process.”
The family has formally requested the release of Martinez Zogo’s remains for burial. However, military justice officials maintain that returning the body is premature, as explained by Christophe Bobiokono, a journalist and editor of Kalara, a publication specializing in judicial news. Bobiokono noted that the body must remain available for further investigation. “A new autopsy might be necessary at any time, as the cause of death could be contested,” he explained.
Bobiokono emphasized that some defendants may dispute the murder charges against them. “This could necessitate another autopsy to confirm or refute the assassination allegations,” he added, concluding that “the investigation remains incomplete.”
Ten months after the first session, procedural issues continue to dominate the hearings, with substantive debates yet to start. Martinez Zogo’s family has expressed frustration with the prolonged process, eager to conclude the trial so they can properly mourn. “We are awaiting the final verdict so they can release the body for burial. We have customs. As long as he [Martinez Zogo] remains in the morgue, we cannot perform the necessary rites,” CrescenceMoungou, the late journalist’s elder sister, told Equinoxe TV in 2023.
Seventeen individuals were arrested and charged following the discovery of Martinez Zogo’s body. Among the accused are 12 agents from the Directorate General of External Research (DGRE), including Léopold Maxime EkoEko, the former head of this powerful intelligence agency. The military tribunal is handling the case due to the involvement of military personnel, gendarmes, and police officers.
According to Bobiokono, who is also a member of the Human Rights Commission, all costs associated with preserving Martinez Zogo’s body are being covered by the military justice system.
Ludovic Amara
