5 poachers jailed 120 years, to pay 335m/- fine (Tanzania)

Author(s)

Faustine Kapama, The Daily News

Date Published

Five people have been sentenced to a total of 120 years and pay a fine of 335m/- for being found with two pieces of elephant tusks and nine tails of the wild animal, among other government trophies.

Such sentence was imposed last Friday by Senior Resident Magistrate Pili Mande at Manyoni District Court in Singida Region, after convicting the five on the offence of poaching and various other related crimes.

The offences include being in unlawful possession of government trophies, which are two elephants tusks, two elephant tails, being in unlawful possession of firearms, that is three SMG, one Riffle and one homemade gun (gobole) and dealing with poaching.

The convicts are Ramadhani Shaban,alias Magurubata and Yusto Paul, who were each jailed 20 years for unlawful possession of government trophies. They were also sentenced four years or pay 1m/- fine after being convicted of two offences of unlawful possession of firearms.

Others are Juma Kitwanga, alias Jembe and Nsalamba Katuku Nsalambae, who have been sentenced to 40 years in jail each after they were convicted of two counts of unlawful possession of government trophies.

The two convicts were also ordered to pay 166,500,000/- each after being convicted of two counts of unlawful dealing in government trophies. The fifth convict is Hamidu Nsolezi (86), who was given a suspended sentence of one year, subject for confirmation by the High Court under section 112 of the Wildlife Act No. 5 of 2009.

The prosecution, led by State Attorney Salimu Msemo, had told the court that the accused persons committed the offences between April 1 and 4, this year, at Kiwele and Kambi Katoto Villages in Manyoni District. During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove the charges against the convicts.

Among exhibits were two elephant tusks, nine elephant tails, three firearms, one magazine, eight rounds of ammunition and various unspecified documents.

 

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