A FORMER game ranger with the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority who was found with 100 grammes of cyanide has sensationally accused the police investigating him of planting the dangerous substance into his car to nail him.
Alfred Fema, 50, of 6123 Mkhosana was arrested on Tuesday in Victoria Falls but could not appear in court on Wednesday as the state and defence lawyer, Thulani Nkala, could not agree on a suitable charge.
Police had charged Fema with illegal possession of a toxic substance which Nkala disputed saying there was no basis for it.
Fema told police investigators that he was innocent and suspected that those who arrested him knew how the 100 grammes of the dangerous substance which is widely used by poachers to poison wild animals got into his car.
“I deny the charges because as I had parked my car at Comesa Market some rangers were seen milling around my unlocked car before they later came to me and informed me that their boss wanted to see me at the police station,” he said.
“I was shocked when they told me they found cyanide in my car because I had cleaned it in the morning and there was nothing. I believe Parks and Wildlife officials or Victoria Falls anti-poaching team planted the cyanide in my car.”
Allegations against Fema are that on Tuesday police and parks officers searched his car and recovered 100 grammes of cyanide stashed under the driver’s seat.
“On October 21 a ranger, Jeffrey Mkhuli, received an anonymous letter which was deposited in the Park’s suggestion box to the effect that the accused was in the habit of transporting cyanide in his vehicle.
“Mkhuli and Ernest Dlodlo met the accused at Comesa Market and invited him to accompany them to the police station,” said one of the police documents.
More than 100 elephants died as a result of cyanide poisoning last year as poachers administer the dangerous substance on salt pans and drinking points.