Kenya: Man Charged With Sh9 Million Airport Elephant Tusks Bust

Richard Munguti, Daily Nation

24 August 2010

Nairobi — A man arrested while allegedly attempting to smuggle game trophies through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was on Tuesday arraigned in court.

Mr Aseche Aburila, a despatch attendant with Sunrise Ltd, denied being found with 37 pieces of elephant tusks and five rhino horns valued at Sh9.8 million at the cargo area of the airport on August 22, 2010.

He was accused of being in possession of the government trophies without a licence.

He was also accused of dealing with game trophies without a licence and failing to report to the Kenya Wildlife Service that he had elephant tusks and rhino horns.

He applied to be freed on bail.

Prosecutor Michael Mukui told the court he was not opposed to the accused being released on bond.

Makadara chief magistrate Martin Muya directed the accused to deposit a bond of Sh500,000 before he was freed from prison custody.

The case will be heard on October 27, 2010.

In an earlier case, two employees of a company that supplies food to Kenya Airways were charged with putting pins in meals served to the national airline's passengers.

Mr Simiyu Ayienda and Mr Brian Ayub of Nairobi Airport Services (NAS) were arraigned before Mr Muya and denied intending to cause deaths to passengers by adding pins in the meals.

This brings to five the number of NAS employees charged with the offence.

Others who appeared before Mr Muya were Mr Simon Nyaro, Mr Boniface Ongeso and Mr Michael Mwiru. They were released on bond after entering a plea of "not guilty".

The case will be heard on October 28.

They are alleged to have committed the offence between July 26 and August 16.