Free Zach Forjidam Campaign
The Family and Friends of "Ni Zachs" Forjindam in the United States and Cameroon have written to the US State Department through the US Ambassador in Yaoundé seeking Justice for their "Ex-Powerful" Pioneer Director General of Chantier Naval who was slammed an unprecedented "Life Imprisonment Without Possibility Parole" for alleged "Embezzlement". The extremely inhuman, unprecedented and degrading punishment (not commensurate with the alleged Crime) and the impossibility of the family and other Legal experts to make any sense of this "strange Life Imprisonment Sentencing" has pushed them to seek redress with President Obama's Administration. Herewith below is their "Petition"….Tah Mfar Mishe
US State Department: Demand Justice and Human Rights for Zach Forjindam!
Free Zach Forjindam
los ángeles, CA
279
Supporters
To Mr. Ambassador Hoza (US Ambassador to Cameroon):
We regret to inform you that we have evidence that the Ministry of Justice in Cameroon in May 2008 intentionally misinformed and misled the U.S. Embassy and U.S. State Department officials about the facts of the Zacchaeus M. Forjindam v. Chantier Naval and the Federal Prosecutor embezzlement case that is currently under review by the Supreme Court of Cameroon.
Zacchaeus M. Forjindam, 65, a married father, philanthropist, community activist and Naval Architect & Marine Engineer (member of SNAME) was sentenced to LIFE in prison plus 15 years by the Cameroonian High Court based on falsified embezzlement charges.
Forjindam's defense has attempted for the past seven (7) years to challenge these false charges in the Lower, Appeal, and Supreme Courts of Cameroon, but have repeatedly faced illegal delays as well as found evidence of judicial bribery, blackmail, and court decision tampering. Previously, the official position of the U.S. has been one of non involvement on the grounds that this case is an internal matter for Cameroon. However, we now have official reports that demonstrate Cameroon's Ministry of Justice made patently false allegations against Mr. Forjindam and manufactured evidence to support their unsubstantiated claims. Based on the Ministry's lies and false reports, the U.S. Embassy and U.S. State Department officials, including Political Officer Tad Brown, revoked Zacchaeus Forjindam's U.S. Visa and authorized, in partnership with Interpol, the freezing of Mr. Forjindam's personal financial accounts.
We recognize that the U.S. Embassy may have accepted and acted on the information provided by the Cameroonian Minister of Justice at face value. However, as a direct result of the fabrications advanced against Mr. Zacchaeus Forjindam by the Cameroonian Ministry of Justice:
An esteemed business leader and community activist, has been sentenced to life, and unlawfully imprisoned for 7 years;
Chantier Naval, Cameroon's foremost Shipyard and Industrial Engineering Company has become insolvent;
Over 3,000 Cameroonian citizens formerly employed by Chantier Naval have lost their jobs; and
Hundreds of millions of dollars of shareholder value has been lost by US and International oil/shipping companies that operate in the region.
We have supporting materials on the case, including an official report from the Supreme State Auditor of Cameroon and an official findings document from the Cameroon Lower Court which indisputably prove:
Mr. Forjindam's innocence
Cameroon's Ministry of Justice misinformed and shared false reports with the U.S. State Department, and
Cameroon's Ministry of Justice has actively engaged in bribery and judicial tampering.
The following is a list of information that we have in support of Mr. Forjindam's case, which has been repeatedly presented to and ignored by the Courts in Cameroon as a result of illegal and undue pressure placed on them by the corrupt and compromised Ministry of Justice:
Official Zacchaeus M. Forjindam Human Rights Case Fact Sheet, including background and timeline
U.S. State Department, Yaounde Embassy Report, Classified by Political Officer Tad Brown (May 9, 2008)
Supreme State Audit Report of Chantier Naval by Cameroon Government (October 2007) as well as Chantier Naval financial statements certified by PriceWaterhouseCooper (FY 2003 and 2004), both audits prove no evidence of missing and/or embezzled funds
Official Court Findings (Court Records Following International Investigations) that prove no evidence of missing and/or embezzled funds/assets in any of Mr Forjindam's personal financial accounts.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:
Economic Mis-Development: CNIC was projected to earn 400 million USD in 2015 (a major economic driver for West/Central Africa) and was part of the greater Limbe Shipyard Development project funded by six (6) International Funding Institutions. Since Forjindam’s imprisonment the major funders who were financing 87% of the FCFA 184 billion project, have suspended all disbursements on condition of his just release. Today, CNIC has almost zero growth prospects and relies on unsustainable government bailouts for survival.
High unemployment spawns Boko Haram: CNIC was projected to employ 6000 workers directly (3000 indirectly) by 2015. Barely one (1) year after Forjindam’s departure from CNIC, over 2500 workers were terminated due to lack of activity. The annual paid internship program that provided technical training for over 400 young Cameroonians was also discontinued, leading to worker strikes. The high percentage of disenfranchised, now unemployed men and women, many of whom were from the Northern part of Cameroon are current recruitment targets and/or victims of Boko Haram, international terrorist.
Human Rights Violations: Forjindam’s civic and human rights have been violated. According to Presidential Decree N° 97/048, the Supreme State Audit overrules every other audit in Cameroon. However, this Supreme State Audit which has categorically cleared Forjindam of any embezzlement of public funds, has been ignored by lower court judges, appeal court judges and possibly the Supreme Court judges. Forjindam’s case continues to be unlawfully delayed, and he is currently imprisoned, suffering gross, inhumane conditions and unable to defend himself accordingly.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
• Sign our petition to put international pressure on the Supreme Court to follow the law at: http://chn.ge/1j0Iolz
• Contact Michael S. Hoza, American Ambassador to Cameroon at (237) 22220-1500 andconsularyaounde@state.gov or webmasteryaounde@state.gov to demand that H.E Paul Biya review all the facts of Forjindam's case.
• Copy paste to Twitter: @StateDept Demand Justice from GRC to @FreeForjindam sentenced to Life for crime not committed @USEmbYaounde @JohnKerry #FreeZachForjindam
JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED! WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Thank You,
The Family of Zacchaeus Forjindam