Courts rejects Bail Bid for Anglophone Detainees , Trial Adjourned Again

Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba, Mancho Bibixy and 26 other Anglophones have regained their respective detention centres in Yaounde after the Military Tribunal rubbished an appeal for release of the leaders of the disbanded Anglophone Civil Society Consortium by Judicial Supervision.

Colonel Abega Eko Eko Mbazoa who is the presiding judge read the ruling as crowds thronged the court to savor what is now an elusive  freedom for the Anglophone leaders.

Today's hearing lasted  less than 20 minutes and the matter was adjourned to the 29 of June 2017. The Defense Counsel that was planning to launch a new appeal for the provisional release of the 26 others previously refused bail  and sympathizers of the detainees have expressed shock at the Judge's ruling.

 The high point of today's court drama was Mancho Bibixy who  arrived at the Military Tribunal, handcuffed and under heavy armed guard. He looked  shaby,  barefooted and pale. He stormed the court room on his buttocks as he had  joint other Anglophones in the indefinite hunger strike. But, he remained defiant saying even death can't stop his enthusiasm for the Southern Cameroon Course.

 We are yet to get the main  reason behind the judge's refusal .But  legal experts were  clear that it was not proper  proposing judicial supervision to only two out of 29 detainees held under similar  charges. Even if that were to happen, the leaders  had  insisted on an unconditional release of all those arrested in connection with the socio - political upheavals in the Anglophone regions.  It is also alleged  in some quarters that the Prosecuting counsel had filed a motion behind closed doors telling the Judge not to consent to the demands for judicial supervision under the pretext that it was difficult to guarantee a hitch free clause for judicial supervision.

Attempts by Cameroon Concord to reach some lawyers of the Defense counsel on the way forward proved futile.