By Bah Ita
The case between the People of Cameroon and
the Nigerian-born, Muea-Buea based Self-described Major Prophet Divine C.
Okafor was last Thursday 17th March 2016 re-adjourned again to Thursday 21st
April, 2016 at 11am prompt.
The
over an hour court hearing at the Buea High court chambers last week was
presided at by the examining magistrate and President of the High court who
after authorizing the reading of the counts that led to the appearance of the
said accused prophet in court and following claims advanced by his five-man
defense counsel headed by Barrister TanyiMbi Joseph and the civil party counsel
championed by Barrister EtabesongNouvelisa, following repeated response by the
accused person of“Not guilty”, forthe need of sufficient facts, and also
bearing on the request from the Defense counsel for the hearing to be held in
camera, then rolled that the case should be adjourned to the 21st of April
2016.
The
twenty five counts charged against Major Prophet Divine C. Okafor pursed into
repeated sexual harassment, death threats, caressing of lapses of some young
girls without their consent, the period of acts reportedly committed stretches
across the months of March, April, May, June, July, October of 2015 and others
carried out sometime in 2014.
The
counts on sexual assault, death threats, among many read out in the Buea high
court was committed against a certain Miss Bessem Catherine, Biakop C. Yvette,
Nyanga Elisabeth, Linda-CarineBasaka,
his fellow Christians. It was revealed in one of the counts that the prophet
had staged a death threat to a friend of a certain Julie EfufeMungo, one of his
bedmate, after a pregnancy test proved positive sometime in 2014.
In
his defense, Barrister TanyiMbi Joseph contested the charge reportedly penned
by another Miss M.T Marie-Prisca and six others. His claim was that the charge
‘M.T Marie-Prisca and six others’ was baseless and embarrassing. Immediately,
the examining magistrate Justice raised a court motion for an amendment,
thereafter it was transformed to ‘the
people of Cameroon and Pastor Divine C. Okafor’, and the college of legal minds
in attendance responded “ as the court so pleases”.
According
to the Cameroon Penal code Law, private indecency in aggravated form is
punishable in article 295(b) and conditional threats is subject to punishment
according to article 302(2) of the Penal Code.
The
places where the acts were committed according to the court counts are his Life
Transformer Ministry premises, his mile 18 Muea residence, and his vehicle.
Post
to the Bench warrant issued, the Defense counsel Barrister Tanyi told the court
session that his client was cut off by traffic due to the fact that the said
March 10th 2016, happened to be the usual Muea market day and further explained
that they survived the traffic storm after a fast drive through the Buea town
neighborhood and only arrived the court premises five minutes after 10 o’clock
am. He stated that the accused being a responsible man and subscriber to
Cameroon state laws should be granted bail.
The
civil party counsel Barrister EtabesongNouvelisa expressed fear that the
accused being a Nigerian could escape trail. It is against this backdrop that
the self-proclaimed prophet Divine C. Okafor was granted bail for one million
francs together with two Cameroonians sureties.
Barrister Tanyi however requested for an in
camera hearing beginning next court appearance.
Ten of the reportedly harassed and threaten
fourteen victims showed up in court.
The
next court hearing is slated for Thursday April 21st 2016 at 11am. The April
court session it should be noted will remain in camera as the court did
pleased.
Prophet
Divine C, Okafor was arrested last February 2016 provoked by reports filed in
from the National Commission on Human Rights South West Office to the Buea
court on repeated cases of rape, sexual harassment among other charges. He was
issued a bench warrant last march 10th, 22106 an have just escaped a search
warrant according to the Cameroon Criminal Procedurrt5 e Code law.
Pic
Prophet Divine C. Okafor
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