On Monday 18th October 2010, a prison official, Esso Nyame and three other individuals were arraigned before the Magistrate Court in Yaounde, on charges of having participated in the escape of Patrice Nkolo, under detention at the Kondengui central prison. The incident took place on September 23, 2010. Aimé Esso Nyame and Michel Chala, two of the co-accused and Alyne Afouba, another co-accused and wife of Patrice Nkolo the prisoner who escaped, were arrested by police officers after the incident. Meanwhile, Bienvenue Megne Ayissi, the forth co-accused, was not arrested. The four suspected accomplice pleaded not guilty.
“My client is not guilty of the charges levelled against him because he had been in service at the Central Prison of Kondengui for two weeks following his recent transfer to the service. He should be released given the fact that he is a civil servant. He will go back to work” said Barrister Issaka, lawyer to Aimé Nyame. He also urged the judge to adjourn the case. Barrister Claude Assamba, Lawyer to Aline Afouba also demanded an adjournment of the case and the release of his client. “Alyne Merveille Afouba is a mother of four children, she cannot remain in detention, she has to take care of her children,” he added.
According to the State prosecutor, the accused should not be released because they are suspected of having helped a prisoner to jump jail. He added that their demand for bail must not be granted because they could not show their certificates of residence.
The judge concluded that the accused must not be judged separately, he rejected the requests of the suspected accomplice for release and the case was adjourned for November 15, 2010.
