Dar es Salaam — Three out of three persons appeared before the Kisutu Resident magistrate’s court in Dar es Salaam, to answer charges of selling elephant tusks and bones worth more than Sh2billion. They are Peter Kabi, Leonidia Kabi and Polisi Malisa. Their alleged accomplice, Charles Wainaina, was not in court.
The accused persons were facing a similar case in October, 2012, but the trophies they were found with were worth Sh400 million, and had been covered with a flag, and they had pretended that they were transporting a dead body.
However, the case was dismissed yesterday, but the accused were charged afresh with possessing and trading in government trophies contrary to law.
State Attorney Paul Kadushi alleged that on October 27, 2012 at Kimara Stop Over on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, the suspects jointly carried out criminal acts by planning, collecting and selling 210 pieces of tusks and five pieces of elephant bones.
He alleged that the pieces of the elephant tusks weighed 450.6 kg and were worth US dollars 1,380,000.
According to Kadushi, the five pieces of bones were valued at US dollars 30,000 and that the items in all were valued at $1,410,000, which is equivalent to Sh2,230,338, 000.
The state atorney further alleged that the suspects engaged in the business without having a permit from the director of wildlife.
It was also alleged that on the material day in Kimara, they were found with the government trophies valued at Sh 2,230,338,000 without having a permit from the director of wildlife.
After the charges were read to them, they denied themand state attorney Kadushi told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had issued a permit to allow the allow the court to hear the case.