Nkemayang Vs Ndi &Bayen case:

Nkemayang escapes blame for Press Freedom Day donations roar

By a correspondent in Limbe

Nkemayang Paul Foanyi

Nkemayang Paul Foanyi, publisher of The Star newspaper has told the Limbe Magistrate’s Court that John MbahAkuroh did not give account of donations he received for their joint organization of World Press Freedom Day in 2014.

                Nkemayang, publisher of The Star newspaper and president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) Cameroon was addressing the Limbe Magistrate’s Court on 13 July when hearing opened for retrial in the libel case he brought against two other journalists in relation to a story about the donations.

                Speaking before Justice TheophilusTatsi, president of the court, Nkemayang said he gave account of all donations he received, but Akuroh did not.

                “When the drinks and water donated by Source du Pays arrived, I got up and told participants that ‘Ladies and gentlemen, the water and drinks are from Source du Pays’ and there was thunderous hand of applause. I asked Akuroh to get up and do the same. He got up and only said ‘The Minister of Environment gave something, this person gave something, that person gave that’, without stating the amount of money they donated.”

                Nkemayang’s statement might have come to confirm what Ndi Eugene Ndi said in the 5 May 2014 story at the centre of the legal battle that the main organizers of the event in Buea only made spurious mention of some donors but did not state how much each of them donated. The story, posted on Facebook, was republished in Franklin SoneBayen’sMediapeople newspaper.

                Nkemayang said Akuroh collected two million FCFA in donations but handed over only 700,000FCFA to him and explained that with about 500,000FCFA in Akuroh’s pocket, he said he had to pay transport fares for participants who came from Yaounde and Bamenda. At which the trial judge exclaimed, “Five hundred thousand only for transport?”

                Nkemayang said Akuroh told him he learned the Limbe City Council had donated 200,000FCFA and asked Nkemayang to turn his attention there.

                The judge also asked where the balance of 1.3 million FCFA in Akuroh’s keeping had gone to. Nkemayang said he believed Akuroh has saved it in a bank account. Meanwhile, Steven Ojong, secretary general of Akuroh’s CANPA told The Standard Tribune in a March 2016 report that he knew nothing about any letters of appeal nor any donations received by CANPA.

               

Bayen Franklin and Ndi Eugene 

Justice Tatsi asked to know who was chairman of the organising committee and why Nkemayang whom he said he thought was the main organizer was receiving cash in bits from Akuroh instead of being the one authorizing disbursements. Nkemayang said, “Akuroh was the moderator and coordinator, I only chaired the event.” Akuroh is Nkemayang’s secretary general at CJA-Cameroon.

                The judge as well wondered why donations collected after a harmonized letter of appeal for funds co-signed by the co-organizers, were collected and disbursed by individuals without any central control.

                Nkemayang had told the court the 2014 World Press Freedom Day event in Buea was jointly organized by the leaders of four journalism associations, that is CJA which he heads, Cameroon Union of Journalists (CUJ) led by Charlie Ndi Chia, Cameroon Anglophone Publishers Association (CANPA) led by John MbahAkuroh and the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) led then by Tricia Oben whom Nkemayang said did not fully take part in their planning meetings and did not attend the Buea event.

                The case brought against Ndi as first accused and Franklin SoneBayen as second accused first went to court in July 2014 and was heard in chambers. In December 2015, it was dismissed on technical grounds, but in March 2016 Nkemayang sought retrial which is now in open court. Akuroh, Theodore MihNdze, Gerald Ndikum, Manga Ewang Bell, Francis Tim Mbom and Austin KwiBangsi are listed as Nkemayang’s witnesses in the case.

                Nkemayang said he is seeking to clear his name in order to enjoy the administrative entitlements of his new position as Commonwealth Journalists Association Vice President for Africa, which he says include a secretariat to be offered by the government. Other sources say he is also soliciting a service car, funding and protocol recognition from the government.

                But, laments Nkemayang, the allegations of financial impropriety against him in Ndi’s story leave him with questionable reputation and credibility and the Ministers of Communication and External Relations and his international CJA colleagues always refer to it.