The Military Court of Appeal in Lomé is set to deliver its verdict this Friday, February 27, in the appeal trial over the death of Colonel Bitala Madjoulba.
The colonel was found shot dead on May 4, 2020, in his office at the Lomé military camp, hours after the inauguration of President Faure Gnassingbé.
In the initial trial, five defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to twenty years, while two were acquitted. The government appealed the ruling, arguing that the sentences were too lenient.
On Wednesday, the Prosecutor General requested prison terms of between three and fifty years for seven defendants, as the defense contested the charges and cited procedural irregularities. The verdict is expected to bring judicial closure to a case that has remained in the public spotlight for six years.
