Suspect in journalist’s murder dies in jail

A presidential guard suspected of killing journalist Norbert Zongo has died while serving a twenty-year jail term for another murder. Sergeant Edmond Koama, 33, died on 4 January in a private clinic to which he had been transferred from the Ouagadougou prison. A relative confirmed his death, saying “he had been seriously ill” but did not give any details. Last August, a military tribunal sentenced Koama along with the head of the presidential security to 20 years in prison for torturing to death David Ouedraogo, the chauffeur of President Blaise Compaore’s brother. A third bodyguard was sentenced to 10 years without parole. An independent investigation commission had named all three as “serious suspects” in the murder of Norbert Zongo. The charred remains of the journalist, two of his cousins and his driver were found in his car in December 1998. He had been investigating the murder of Ouedraogo, who had been suspected of stealing US $31,000 from his employer, François Compaore. [See separate item titled ‘BURKINA FASO: Presidential guard suspected of killing journalist dies in jail’]