The rumour has been going around for some days now: Josette Kadji, daughter of Cameroonian billionaire Kadji Defotso, is representing Ivorian Blé Goudé. stopblablacam.com found a press communiqué dated 30 November 2016 signed by Mr Geert Jan Alexander Knoops, on behalf of the legal team of Charles Blé Goudé, confirming this news.

“The legal team of Mr Charles Blé Goudé is happy to announced the arrival of Ms Josette Kadji. Lawyer at the Cameroon Bar in Douala, Ms Kadji started long ago a career as an international lawyer which led her to several jurisdictions including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha where she was the lead counsel between 1997 and 2015, and the ICC where she has been registered since 2004”, indicated the communiqué.

The arrival of Ms Josette Kadji, explains Geer Jan Alexander Knoops, is in line with her commitment to see justice win in Côte d’Ivoire, following the crisis the country has been going through since 2002. “Convinced of the absolute innocence of Mr Charles Blé Goudé, Ms Kadji whose commitment alongside the Ivorian people in their fight for democracy has been illustrated many times over, wanted to bring her contribution to the defence and release of the former Ivorian minister”, reveals Mr Knoops.

At 44 years, the one who had been nicknamed the “general of the street” is sued for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) alongside Laurent Gbagbo for his alleged role in the crisis which started with the refusal of the former Head of State to leave the power to Alassane Ouattara, recognised as the winner by France, the USA and the European Union, of the 2010 presidential election. The violence left over 3,000 dead in five months in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Josette Kadji law firm was created in 1985. To date, it has collaborated with and trained, within 30 years of existence, close to 30 experienced lawyers.

Sylvain Andzongo