Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga

Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga (born 20 February 1965) is a Cameroonian businessman known as the chief executive of the newspaper L'Anecdote and the TV channels Vision 4 and Télésud. Belinga caused controversy in March 2006 when he was sentenced to four months in prison for defamation after naming Grégoire Owona, a government minister, in a list of 50 presumed homosexual Cameroonians published in L'Anecdote. In 2023, he was arrested and charged in relation to the murder of journalist Martinez Zogo.

Career Born to farming parents in Nkoumadzap, Méfou-et-Akono, Centre Region, as an adult Belinga moved to Yaoundé, where he was mentored by newspaper editor Georges-Gilbert Baongla. In 1995, Belinga became the editor of L'Anecdote. In 2020, he bought the television station Télésud. Belinga is a vocal supporter of Paul Biya, who has been President of Cameroon since 1982.

Criminal investigations

Owona defamation case In January 2006, L'Anecdote published a list of 50 influential Cameroonians it alleged were homosexual, as part of a larger tabloid crusade against "deviant behaviour" in Cameroon, which at the time had made "homosexual acts" punishable by up to five years in prison. Belinga had justified the publication of the list, saying "we could not remain silent, we had to ring the alarm bell... we don't regret it and we have to do it again". Owona stated the allegations had damaged his reputation and exposed his family to ridicule. Belinga was sentenced to a four month custodial sentence, in addition to paying symbolic compensation to Owona of 1 CFA.

Personal life Belinga is polygamous and has at least three wives.