In Togo, the trial in the case of the assassination of Colonel Bitala Madjoulba, commander-in-chief of the first rapid intervention battalion, continues at the military court. After the opening of the trial last Monday, the hearings continued with the hearing of several accused.
Last Wednesday, three senior officers were called to the stand. Among them, Commander Akila-Esso Kpatcha Atèkpè, head of the military security unit, was accused of having led a parallel investigation. Questioned by the prosecutor, he claimed to have acted on orders from his superiors, notably the Minister of Security at the time. The defendants defend themselves by rejecting the accusations brought against them, thus fueling the mystery surrounding this assassination.
Lieutenant Colonel Kouma Agbonkou, second in command of the first rapid intervention battalion, also appeared in court. He was accused of abandoning his post and providing assistance to unauthorized military authorities in this case. The judge highlighted his failings on the fateful night of May 3 to 4, when he should have organized security rounds. Kouma Agbonkou explained by declaring that the alert had been lifted after the swearing-in ceremony of President Faure Gnassingbé and that he had returned home. The prosecutor insisted on the inconceivability for a military leader to sleep without his weapon, thus casting doubt on his version of the facts.
The trial continues today with the hearing of General Abalo Kadangha, then chief of general staff of the Togolese armed forces at the time of the death of Colonel Bitala Madjoulba. His version of events will be highly anticipated, as he was in charge of the colonel’s security and protection.
This affair arouses a lot of interest and questions in Togo. The mystery surrounding the assassination of Colonel Bitala Madjoulba and the various testimonies of the defendants make the progress of the trial particularly captivating. The families of the victims hope to find answers and see justice served, while public opinion remains suspended on the developments of this case.