Kumba prison boss, 5 warders face prosecution for assault and crueltiness on prisoners occasioning death

Kumba Senior State Counsel Batuo Paul has assuaged GCI's fears that only one warder would face prosecution for the gross abuses of the rights of inmates in the Kumba prisons last year that allegedly caused the death of at least three inmates and handicapped many others. The prosecutor told GCI's prisoner's rights intern Brendan Fletcher December 9 that five warders and the prison boss, Thierry Joel Fopa, will be answering charges of assault and cruelty occasioning death.

Brendan reported that he was “pleasantly surprised” to read from an official complaint to the Attorney General the State Counsel showed him that he, the chief prosecutor for Kumba, plans to prosecute “not one, but five warders, as well as the prison superintendent, Thierry Joel”.

An overwhelmed Brendan who has been working tooth and nail on the case for six months now can not contain his joy. Hear him:

“This is a really huge GCI victory that makes our hard work over the past few months well worth it.  Regardless of the outcome of the case, this prosecution sets a precedent that official acts of torture will not be tolerated, at least in the Southwest Region, and demonstrates that small grassroots human rights NGOs such as GCI can really effect systemic change”.

GCI CEO has said GCI will continue to keep her fingers crossed hoping that Justice will at last be served the victims of the August 18, 2008 abuses in the Kumba prisons.

"The legal department has carried out their own independent investigation of the abuses and have corroborated our allegations," CEO Samba Churchill said. "Justice will not only be seen to have been done but also served when the prison boss and his colleagues answer to the charges in court."

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