At the end of the hearings on March 9 and 10, 2026, before the Yaoundé Military Court, the legal team of Léopold Maxime Eko Eko asserts that the testimonies and expert reports added to the file contradict the prosecution’s initial theory.
The defense team of Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, former Director General of the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE), believes that the hearings on March 9 and 10, 2026, before the Yaoundé Military Court mark a turning point in the trial related to the assassination of journalist Martinez Zogo.
In a statement, the lawyers claim that the depositions of several DGRE officials, notably the commander of the Operational Research Group, the director of research, and the head of the situation center, confirmed the existence of an “occult cell” operating outside any official chain of command. According to the defense, these testimonies weaken the prosecution, which until now presented Eko Eko as the main instigator.
The telephone expert reports produced at the trial reportedly mention instructions aimed at erasing certain transaction traces. The defense claims that these orders were allegedly given by Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Danwe to various actors, including Dina Bell and Ngambi, who were approached prior to the criminal project.
The team also refutes the statements of businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, who mentioned an alleged family relationship between Eko Eko and Martin Stéphane Savom, former mayor of Bibey. The lawyers speak of an “imaginary kinship,” asserting that no family, professional, or friendly link exists between the two men.
The defense further denounces an “unnatural coalition of interests” between certain parties in the trial and is concerned about the recent introduction of documents it deems unauthenticated and potentially manipulated. According to the defense, these documents are intended to open a new procedure for undermining state security.
Despite this context, Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, detained since the opening of the case, says he remains confident in the Cameroonian justice system to establish responsibilities and dissociate the DGRE institution from individual initiatives.
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