Former CRTV (Cameroon Radio Television) Director-General Amadou Vamoulke has spent over 1200 days in detention at Kondengui Central Prison. Imprisoned since July 29, 2016, his trial has been postponed 24 times, a situation denounced as a violation of legal limits for provisional detention.
Vamoulke, who also served as president of the Union of Journalists of Cameroon, is accused of "embezzlement of public funds through artificial inflation of the Audiovisual Levy". However, the investigation revealed no embezzlement, inflation, or loss of money, as the Levy is managed by the Paymaster General. Supporters believe his independence as head of CRTV earned him this judicial persecution.
According to Vamoulke, judges were allegedly instructed to "defend the public prosecutor's position to the point of absurdity," calling into question the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary in Cameroon.
Suffering from severe neuropathy diagnosed by Cameroonian and foreign specialists, Vamoulke is being denied urgent medical evacuation despite the risk of paralysis. This situation is particularly criticized because convicted individuals are sometimes released for medical reasons, unlike Vamoulke, who is only awaiting trial.
Several informal grievances are mentioned to explain this relentless pursuit, including criticisms related to his time at CRTV and accusations of unreliability. His case, according to his defenders, illustrates a system where accusations are made without solid evidence, where detention is maintained beyond legal limits, where medical care is refused, and where procedures are dragged out.
The Vamoulke affair is part of the context of Operation Sparrowhawk (Épervier), an anti-corruption campaign launched in 2006. Twenty years after its launch, this operation is criticized for its lack of fairness and its political instrumentalization.
Initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, then to an additional 20 years in August 2024, Amadou Vamoulke saw his sentence increased despite evidence provided by his defense to justify the expenditure of the majority of the funds he was accused of mismanaging. The European Parliament and organizations such as Reporters Without Borders have called for his release, denouncing judicial harassment and highlighting the seriousness of his state of health.
"Truth takes revenge, and whoever hates or despises it will sooner or later be its prey," Amadou Vamoulke declared from his cell, as quoted by the journalist.
On February 22, 2026, two former senior officials, Roger Belinga and Gérard Ondo Ndong, were released after 20 years of detention as part of Operation Sparrowhawk.
