Day: April 28, 2023

Posted on

Gendarmes in Douala stop seven stocks of Cannabis from entering Gabon

Gendarmes in New Bell Douala have arrested and kept behind bars two suspected cannabis traffickers.

The two men apprehended at a place called “kilometre cinq” hid the seven stocks of cannabis in textile materials ready to be smuggled out of Cameroon to Gabon.

“An informant alerted us of this stock of cannabis in a shop owned by these two suspects. We immediately launched an investigation which proved positive. They were planning to smuggle the cannabis to Gabon. It shows this is what they have been doing for a very long time”. Explained the commander of the New Bell Gendarmerie brigade.

Some dumbfounded onlookers, known to be business persons who buy textile materials in bulk and sell them in their shop said this is an eye opener.

” I am now very afraid. If this is what they have been doing, it means I could have been a victim one day. Instead of clothes, I will be sold cannabis. This gives reason for me to be more careful.” A trader said.

The gendarmes, exposing the real contents of the seven stocks of clothes told the population to be vigilant because many of such individuals could still be out there and among them.

“Imagine you hand over huge sums of money for clothes and when you get home or your shop you find strange things instead of what you paid for. It’s equivalent to death. I urged you to be prudent. Verify before you carry it away and if you see something doubtful, don’t hesitate to call all.” The New Bell Gendarmerie brigade commander advised.

The two suspects currently detained at the New Bell Gendarmerie brigade will be presented before judges in the coming days to defend themselves.

Meantime, the Gendarmes have promised to continue investigating and expose more of such crooked individuals.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Posted on

Defense Counsel of Martinez Zogo’s family to take legal actions against counterpart for assault

Lawyers defending the rights of the family of Martinez Zogo, the Amplitude FM Director, killed in January 2023, say they will not allow the lawyers of accused, Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga go scot-free after violently molesting a member of their team, Bar. Émilienne MINDZEME ONDOA, on Thursday April 27.

On this same day the Centre Court of Appeal rejected another request to release Amougou Belinga on bail.

“While the Court of Appeal of the Centre region (Yaoundé) rendered its verdict, logically rejecting as the law requires, the request for the release of Mr. AMOUGOU BELINGA, our colleague Bar. Émilienne MINDZEME ONDOA, was violently assaulted and taken, in front of witnesses, by Mr. NDOUMOU, Lawyer for Mr. AMOUGOU BELINGA . This intolerable aggression, on law practitioners, will obviously give rise to an ethical report that will be addressed to the Cameroon Bar Association and filing of a criminal complaint with the competent Public Prosecutor”. Assured the defense team leader Bar Calvin JOB.

Bar. Félicité Esther ZEIFMAN, Bar. Hakim CHERGUI, Bar. Emilienne MEDZEME and Bar Calvin JOB constituting the defense counsel of Martinez Zogo’s family in the press release of April 27 underlined that such actions are caused about by frustration.

“Exceptional as they are, we would be wrong not to understand their significance: these facts are clear signs of a beleaguered defense which, when faced with the strict application of the law and the damning charges against its client, begins by compromising herself by blithely violating the professional secrets and instructions that she has sworn to respect and ends up bogged down in a dishonorable radical comportment. Let the supporters of this violence know that the lawyers and the millions of supporters of the family of the martyr Martinez ZOGO will not allow themselves to be intimidated by any corruptor or any powerful, and will contribute with all their energies to the work of truth that the Justice of our country is accomplishing”. Added the Martinez Zogo defense counsel.

It should be noted, this other refusal by the Centre Court of Appeal to favour Amougou’s lawyers for their their client to be released on bail, implies the Vision 4 Tv boss remains in pre-trial detention in the Principal prison in Kondengui Yaounde.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Posted on

Procurement of oil by-products costs USD 803 million

The purchase of 1.2 million metric tons of oil derivatives for trading consumed US$803 million in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 3% compared to the previous period.

Of the amount acquired for sale, features about 48.2 percent in diesel, 35.3 percent gasoline, 9.4 percent fuel oil, 5.5 percent jet A1, 1.3 percent kerosene and the remaining 0.2 percent asphalt.

Also of the acquisitions made, according to a summary presented Friday by the Oil Derivatives Regulatory Institute (IRDP), 64 percent imported, with 35 percent from the Luanda refinery and 1 percent from the Cabinda Golf Company-Topping de Cabinda.

In Angola, three new refineries are under construction to process crude oil in Cabinda (60,000 barrels/day), Soyo (100,000/day) and Lobito (200,000/day), which will impact on the reduction of current volumes of imported refined products.

In the period under review, according to figures presented by the director-general of IRDP, Luís Fernandes, the country had an installed capacity to store liquid fuel of 675,968 cubic metres on land.

There were 904 filling stations in an operational state, of which 336 belonged to Sonangol Distribuição e Comercialização (37 percent), 79 belonged to Pumangol (9 percent), 54 for Sonangalp (6 percent), 51 to TEMA-Total Energies Marketing Angola (5.6 percent) and a further 384 were white-flagged private agents (42.4 percent).

Despite the number of filling stations available, 40 of the country’s 164 municipalities lack these services, according to IRDP’s mapping.

Sales volume and market share

Overall sales of the various business segments retail (B2C), consumption (B2B) and bunkering were 1.1 million metric tons, a decrease of about 7% compared to the 4th quarter of 2022.

In terms of market share in sales volume, Sonangol Distribuição and Comercialização remains in the lead with about 62%, followed by Pumangol (21%=, Sonangalp (9%) and Total (8%).

Angola LNG feeding the market

Of the 96,091 metric tons (MT) of cooking gas (LPG) introduced into the domestic market, the Angola LNG factory supplied 90 percent of the total. The other quantities were from the Luanda Refinery (6%) and Topping de Cabinda (4%).

The country had an installed onshore storage capacity of 10,927 MT and sales of gaseous fuels were around 108,640 MT, down 6%.

Sonangol Gás e Energias Renovaveis leads the market in this segment with a 79% share, followed by Saigás (11%), Progás and Gastém (4%) and Canhonho Gás (2%).

The range of oil derivatives also includes lubricants, whose volume of acquisitions was around 8,379 MT commercialised in the domestic market.

Of the total volume commercialised, only 1,543 MT were of national production, corresponding to 18% and the remaining 82% were imported.

The provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huila, Huambo and Cabinda represent the “top five” with a total of 81% of national consumption.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Posted on

Angolans residing in Sudan return to country

Ten Angolan citizens, who were studying in the Republic of Sudan, returned Friday to the Angolan capital, Luanda, due to the ongoing armed conflict in that African country.

Angolan Government made arrangements for the evacuation of its citizens to protect their lives in that country where they were receiving training.

Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs started the evacuation process of the citizens last Tuesday.

Speaking to the press at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in Luanda, the director of the Angolan Communities Abroad, Maria Filomena António, said that the evacuation followed the guidance of the Angolan Executive.

“We were mandated and did the work together with the Embassies of Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa, which facilitated the departure of the students”, she said.

The conflict started on the 15 April this year. Behind the tensions is a disagreement over the integration of the paramilitary group into the armed forces – a key condition of a transition agreement that’s never been signed but has been adhered to by both sides since 2021.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)