Presumption-of-innocence boundary: the 17 people sent to trial face different charges and pleaded not guilty. Referral orders, testimony and pretrial detention are not convictions. Alleged roles are attributed to court documents or reporting and are not presented here as finally adjudicated facts.
A radio journalist reporting on public affairs
Arsène Salomon Mbani Zogo, widely known as Martinez Zogo, managed the privately owned broadcaster Amplitude FM and hosted the daily program Embouteillage. His work mixed current affairs, politics and allegations of corruption. In the weeks before his death, CPJ recorded reports that he had warned colleagues and listeners about threats.
Zogo’s reporting had addressed alleged transfers of public funds involving prominent figures. Those allegations form part of the context in which investigators later examined his killing. They do not, by themselves, prove a motive or establish the guilt of any person charged in the case.
Disappearance and discovery
According to CPJ’s reconstruction, Zogo was followed on the evening of 17 January 2023 as he drove toward his home outside Yaoundé. He tried to reach a nearby gendarmerie post and called for help before being forced into another vehicle. His family and colleagues reported him missing.
On 22 January, his body was discovered on the outskirts of the capital. Cameroon’s government said it showed substantial physical abuse and announced an investigation. The archive does not reproduce graphic descriptions; the material fact is that investigators and later court records treated the case as an abduction, torture and killing.
Arrests and the judicial investigation
Authorities arrested senior members of the General Directorate for External Research, or DGRE, and other suspects in early 2023. Businessman and media owner Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga was also detained. Initial charges and theories changed as the investigation progressed, creating disputes over procedure and the precise legal characterization of each defendant’s alleged conduct.
On 29 February 2024, investigating judge Pierrot Narcisse Nzié closed the judicial investigation and referred 17 people to the Yaoundé Military Tribunal. The charges vary and include forms of complicity or co-perpetration in arrest and kidnapping, torture or murder, conspiracy to torture, and violation of instructions. Not every defendant faces every charge.
The defendants and contested allegations
Among the most prominent defendants are former DGRE director Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, former operations director Justin Danwe, Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and broadcaster Bruno François Bidjang. CPJ’s review of the referral document also identified DGRE agents and other individuals whose alleged roles were set out in the investigation file.
The defense challenged alleged irregularities, changes to charges and access to the case file. Appellate proceedings in 2025 addressed preliminary objections and returned the matter for examination on the merits. These disputes are part of the procedural record and should not be confused with a verdict for or against any defendant.
Trial proceedings through 2026
The trial opened in 2024. On 9 September 2024, the 17 defendants pleaded not guilty. Hearings were repeatedly postponed while preliminary appeals and objections were considered, and the merits phase proceeded through extensive witness and expert testimony.
Cameroon Tribune reported that the tribunal was still hearing the case in May and June 2026. Local reporting in July recorded the completion of testimony from the prosecution’s 33rd witness and the appearance of a 34th. That continuing evidentiary phase demonstrates that no final judgment had yet been reached.
Evidence without premature conclusions
Investigators examined telephone records, geolocation data, surveillance allegations and digital material. Some of that evidence was contested in court, including questions about devices not examined and the completeness of images. The page records only the existence of this evidentiary dispute; it does not independently authenticate leaked material or decide what the evidence proves.
Video shown during a June 2026 hearing was widely reported as depicting Zogo during captivity. Its public presentation was a significant trial development, but it did not by itself settle which defendant, if any, bore criminal responsibility under the charges.
Why the case remains unresolved
The identity of the victim, his disappearance, the recovery of his body and the existence of a large criminal proceeding are well documented. The unresolved classification concerns the final allocation of individual criminal responsibility. Seventeen not-guilty pleas and an active evidentiary hearing cannot be converted into convictions.
A future judgment may resolve some or all charges, and appeals may further change the record. Until then, the archive distinguishes the documented killing from prosecutorial allegations, witness testimony and contested evidence.
Timeline
- 17 January 2023 — Martinez Zogo disappears near Yaoundé after seeking help.
- 22 January 2023 — His body is found; the government announces an investigation.
- 31 January–February 2023 — Intelligence officials, security personnel and other suspects are arrested.
- 29 February 2024 — The investigating judge refers 17 defendants to the Yaoundé Military Tribunal.
- 9 September 2024 — The defendants plead not guilty.
- 17 July 2025 — An appellate ruling addresses preliminary challenges and sends the case back for consideration on the merits.
- June–July 2026 — The court continues hearing expert and prosecution witnesses.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Martinez Zogo?
He was the managing director of Amplitude FM and host of the current-affairs program Embouteillage.
When did he disappear?
He disappeared on 17 January 2023; his body was found on 22 January.
How many people were sent to trial?
Seventeen defendants were referred to the military court, but the charges differ by person.
Were they convicted?
No final verdict was verified. All pleaded not guilty, and witness hearings continued in 2026.
Why is a military court hearing the case?
The accused include intelligence and security personnel, and Cameroonian authorities referred the matter to the Yaoundé Military Tribunal.
Sources and source-quality review
The page relies primarily on CPJ’s detailed case file and review of the 2024 referral order, Cameroon’s official human-rights submission, and contemporaneous reporting on 2026 hearings. Allegations are attributed and defendants remain presumed innocent.
- Committee to Protect Journalists — Martinez Zogo case recordAbduction, discovery, investigation, charges, pleas and procedural status
- CPJ — Court documents and referral to trial8 March 2024 · 17 defendants and allegations in the judicial file
- Government of Cameroon — Sixth periodic report to the UN Human Rights Committee2026 · official account of the investigation and pending military-court case
- Cameroon Tribune — Trial adjournment and active proceedings11 May 2026 · trial context and scheduled continuation
- Cameroon Tribune — Expert evidence debated4 June 2026 · contested digital evidence during the trial
- KOACI — July 2026 witness hearings14 July 2026 · prosecution’s 33rd and 34th witnesses
Status note
Reviewed through 30 September 2026. No final judgment was verified. The defendants’ pleas, evidence and allegations remain subject to trial and any later appeals.
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