4, March 2023
Chelsea’s Ben Elliott switches international allegiance to Cameroon after representing England Under 16s 0
Chelsea youngster Ben Elliott has switched international allegiance from England to Cameroon after a charm offensive from the African nation’s manager Rigobert Song and federation president Samuel Eto’o.
Highly-rated academy midfielder Elliott, 20, is now on course to become a full international before making his professional debut after being included in Cameroon’s senior squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double header against Namibia at the end of this month.
Elliott joined Chelsea aged eight, was part of the academy group that later included the likes of Jamal Musiala and Tino Livramento, and represented England at under-16 level before a serious knee injury contributed to his progress for club and country being interrupted for more than two years from the age of 15.
However, he has overcome that setback to resume his Chelsea career and been one of their standout performers at Under 21s level this season.
His displays earned him a place in Graham Potter’s 25-man Chelsea squad for their mid-season training camp in Abu Dubai, a trip which helped put him on the radar of Cameroon officials.
Cameroon manager Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto’o, president of their football federation, have been looking to recruit players of dual nationality
The presence of his full name – Benjamin Njongoue Elliott – on the team sheet for Chelsea’s friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi played a part in alerting them to his Cameroon roots.
Cameroon had previously been in nearby Qatar for the World Cup.
As they look to build on a third-place finish in their World Cup group, Cameroon are keen to bring through a new generation of players and are actively on the lookout for those of dual nationality.
Elliott, who has been training with Chelsea’s first team this week, is eligible for Cameroon through his father.
And legendary former defender Song and striker Eto’o combined to explain their plans for the national team to Elliott and convince him to make the switch.
Cameroon begun their AFCON qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win in Burundi last June and can seal their place in next year’s Ivory Coast tournament when they face Namibia on March 23 and 28.
Source: Mail online
6, March 2023
Amougou Belinga: The mafia boss with holdings in banking, finance, insurance and property 0
Prominent businessman Amougou Belinga was charged on Saturday with complicity in the torture of a journalist who was murdered in a high-profile case that has rocked the country, his lawyer told AFP.
Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, reputedly close to ministers and senior officials, was arrested on February 6 and brought before a military court in the capital Yaounde on Friday before being remanded, his lawyer said.
A source at the court confirmed the report to AFP on condition of anonymity. The authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the charges Amougou Belinga faces.
Radio journalist Martinez Zogo, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in January, was outspoken against graft and financial sleaze and had often faced threats over his work.
Amougou Belinga, owner of L’Anecdote media group, “was arrested… at dawn” last month, the company said.
The tycoon has holdings in banking, finance, insurance and property, as well as L’Anecdote, which owns a daily newspaper of that name and several pro-government TV and radio stations.
Belinga’s lawyer said his client was “not charged with the murder of Martinez Zogo”, adding: “It is only an indictment, the judicial investigation has only just begun”.
Belinga “was placed under a detention order… at the main prison in Kondengi” after being “presented before an investigating judge at the military court,” a media group he owns said in a statement.
– Suspects –
Several people suspected of involvement in the case were also brought before the military court on Friday evening, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.
Leopold Maxime Eko Eko, head of the General Directorate for External Investigations (DGRE) and its director of operations, Justin Danwe, are among those suspected, a communication ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity, alongside other official sources who also requested confidentiality.
Denis Omgba Bomba, head of the National Media Observatory, a unit attached to the communications ministry, previously confirmed the arrest and said the tycoon had been “named a suspect in the killing of Martinez Zogo”.
Zogo, 50, was the manager of the privately-owned radio station Amplitude FM and host of a daily show called Embouteillage (Traffic Jam).
He had frequently named Amougou Belinga in his corruption accusations.
Zogo was abducted on January 17 outside a police station in the suburbs of the capital Yaounde, and his mutilated corpse was found five days later.
Just days before he was killed, he had told listeners about threats he faced.
The murder sparked outcry, including a protest by 20 leading Cameroonians over the government’s “long tradition of trivialising impunity and accepting atrocities.”
RSF’s Press Freedom Index ranks Cameroon a lowly 118th out of 180 countries.
The government has insisted Cameroon is “a state of law, where liberty is guaranteed, including the freedom of the press”.
Reported by AFP