Namugala seeks retrieval of 6.5 tonnes of ivory from Kenya (Zambia)

Chibaula Silwamba, The Post

July 29, 2009

  

TOURISM, environment and natural resources minister Catherine Namugala has written to the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement of Operations in Kenya seeking the retrieval of Zambia's 6.5 tonnes of ivory that was seized in Singapore. And well-placed sources have revealed that elephants might go extinct in Zambia just like rhinos if the government does not prosecute the syndicate involved in ivory scams at Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and other government agencies.

Commenting on the Zambian government's failure to retrieve 6.5 tonnes of ivory from Kenya since 2002 after it was seized in Singapore, Namugala said the government was doing everything possible to have the ivory returned to Zambia.

"Yes, I can confirm that 6.5 tonnes of ivory is indeed in Kenya in the custody of the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement of Operations. There is ivory worth 6.5 tonnes that was seized in Singapore and it was traced back to Zambia and it is in the custody of the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement of Operations in Kenya. In May [this year], I wrote to the director [of Lusaka Agreement] asking him to release the ivory to us and we will find a way of disposing off the same," Namugala said. "It is also true that this matter has been pending since 2002 but we are hoping that having written to them now, with the follow up using our mission in Kenya, we will get some resolutions before the end of the year."

Namugala said the Zambian elephant was right now under threat.

Asked if the Zambian government would prosecute the culprits in the ivory scam, Namugala responded: "I cannot give a reaction just now because I don't know how far the Lusaka Agreement has gone or indeed the authorities in the countries where this happened."

Member countries to the Lusaka Agreement are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Lesotho, South Africa, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Zambia. The Lusaka agreement was established to protect endangered species of wildlife animals.

But sources in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources wondered why the Zambian government was dilly-dallying to prosecute the culprits when ZAWA, the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement of Operations and other international law enforcement agencies had all the evidence "ripe to prosecute" and convict the syndicate masterminds.

"Elephants will extinct if nothing is done. Some officials at ZAWA were there when rhinos extinct in Zambia and they know and maybe are participating in these ivory scams that is why they are not prosecuting the culprits," the source said. "Ivory is a very lucrative business. One kilogramme of ivory is costing about US $742 [about K3.7 million]. So 6.5 tonnes would bring in about K25 billion for the people involved in this failed deal, minus successful deals, and probably some government officials were paid something to keep quiet."

According to some documents obtained by The Post, scientific analysis of the 6.5 tonnes ivory revealed that it came from Zambia.

A document titled: Isotopic analysis of Lusaka 55 ivory specimens by two professors from University of Cape Town and University of Utah, indicated that almost all the ivory analysed was from Zambia.

The government source said the ivory was taken from Zambia to Malawi and exported to Singapore.

"That ivory came from Zambia. When National Parks and Wildlife Services was transformed to ZAWA there was no count of the ivory in Chipata storage that was taken to Mfuwe and this was the same ivory that was stolen, part of it was stolen from ZAWA HQ [headquarters] in Chilanga," the source revealed. "People at ZAWA know this syndicate and how the ivory moved up to Singapore. So why should they fail to prosecute?"

Another document revealed that before transportation of the ivory from Lilongwe in Malawi, it was concealed in six wooden boxes and marked as stone sculptures.

Seng Luck Trading Company in Lilongwe, which was involved in the ivory syndicate issued an invoice dated May 6, 2002, number A23178 with reference order number SJ01238 for the six 'big soft stone sculptures' [concealed ivory] to Delight Harvest [Singapore] PTE Ltd.

The Malawi Customs Declaration form was also indicating that the contents in the six wooden boxers were stone sculptures when in fact it was ivory.

According to a letter dated August 23, 2004 written by South Africa's Organized Crime unit provincial commander for KwaZulu Province H. Beavon, the vehicle carrying the ivory concealed in wooden boxes as stone sculptures passed through Durban en route to Singapore.

"The vehicle arrived from Beira in Durban, South Africa on 2002-06-01 on the vessel Umfolozi belonging to Unicorn Shipping Company," stated Beavon. "This office deems this investigation as finalised at this stage. Please do not hesitate if further assistance is required in this matter."

And a Singaporean suspect in the ivory syndicate revealed that he had done several trans-shipment documentations stone sculptures [ivory].

In his statement recorded on an Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) form dated July 3, 2002, Toh Yew Lye, a housing agent, admitted knowing Peter Wang - the owner of Delight Harvest - since 1997 but that he had nothing to do with the ivory.

"He has asked me to help him to do the trans-shipment documentation since last year. So far, three or four shipments of wooden boxes of marble sculptures, they always come from the same exporter Seng Luck Trading co. from Malawi and consigned to Mr A Sukurai C/o ASU Company Limited 2-6-2 Matsukage Yokohama Japan," Lye stated. "Recently, he called me on/about 22nd June 2002 to inform me to help him with the trans-shipment documentation for 1 by 20 on one vessel arriving from Africa. I only know that the contents are stone sculptures because he had told me."

And sources said it was strange that the government had not prosecuted the suspects.

"With all the evidence you have do you think the government is telling the truth? No!" said the source.