In less than a week the Tanzanian courts have made a bold and strong statement in order to protect the country’s wildlife. Six people involved in wildlife trafficking have been jailed for a total of 122 years.
In one court case, yesterday (Monday 22 December 2015), two ivory traders were sentenced to 21 years each for their part in trying to smuggle 4 elephant tusks out of the country.
Resident Magistrate Odira Amwol sentenced the two to the long jail term after the court had proved beyond reasonable doubt that they committed the offence.
The prosecution told the court that Justin Bruno, 50, a resident of Usevya Village and Philbert Leo, 35, a resident of Ikuba Village, were arrested on Thursday in possession of the haul. The magistrate ignored their pleas for lenient sentencing because they had families to look after.
Last Thursday another bold sentence was handed out by magistrates in Mbeya Region when the courts sentenced 4 Chinese citizens to 20 years each for rhino horn smuggling. The heavy sentences were given to Song Lei, 33, Xiao Shaodan, 29, Chen Jianlin, 34, and Hu Liang, 30 for ‘economic sabotage’ of Tanzania. The Chinese were caught with 11 rhino horns.
Michael Mteite, a Senior Resident Magistrate in the Tanzania’s Southern Highlands region of Mbeya, sentenced the four Chinese to imprisonment at the end of 23 consecutive days of hearing the case.
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