 Taking the stand, Owona denied that he had ever engaged in homosexuality and claimed that his reputation had suffered as a result of the newspaper's report.Emphasizing that Owona was interested in restoring his reputation and not in receiving monetary compensation, his lawyers requested only a single CFA franc in symbolic damages.In early March 2006, the judge ruled that Amougou Belinga was guilty of defamation and sentenced him to a four-month prison term; he also ordered Amougou Belinga to pay a fine of one million CFA francs, as well as a single CFA franc to Owona.