National News
29.11.2010
Trophy smuggling probed
By: JANA-MARI SMITH

A MAJOR international investigation led by US authorities, Interpol and South African authorities is continuing into claims of cross-border smuggling of hunting trophies between Namibia and South Africa.
At the centre of the investigation is South African Barry Burchell, who is alleged to own at least two farms in Namibia.

A significant portion of Burchell’s hunting operations allegedly took place in Namibia, where he brings clients to hunt through his company Frontier Safaris.

According to a source at the South African Department of Economic Affairs and Environmental Affairs (Dedea), an independent investigation has been launched into the manner in which Burchell transported clients’ trophies, in particular animal skins, from Namibia into South Africa and then into the US. The Dedea official confirmed that the South African investigators are assisting Interpol and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in their investigations.

According to several hunters in the US, their trophies were confiscated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to incorrect labelling that were allegedly intended to disguise the fact that many of the animals were shot in Namibia and not in SA, as claimed by Burchell.

The Dedea official claimed that the international investigation has been continuing for the past year and is independent of an ongoing N$12 million defamation lawsuit Burchell has brought against a former business partner, Scott Anglin, a Texan.

The Dedea official said the Namibian authorities would be notified once they have completed their investigation.

In Namibia, customs officials and officials at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism have confirmed that they are not investigating charges against Burchell.

The international investigation into Burchell’s dealings was revealed this month during the defamation lawsuit, where testimony from a manager at Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures, a leading booking agent for hunting operators, showed that Burchell’s cross-border dealings had caused concern for some time.

According to investigative reporter Eddie Botha at the SA online newspaper Dispatch Online, Gregg Severinson, head of Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures, said a colleague had informed him that he was “very nervous about how Frontier Safaris is exporting trophies”.

He said Severinson was informed that there were concerns that Burchell did not follow US Fish and Wildlife regulations. The adventure company was apparently concerned that Burchell was shipping clients’ trophies in bulk across the Namibian border into South Africa, “not under hunters’ names ... then shipping it as gifts or hunted in the Republic of SA”.

Severinson testified that Cabela’s was alerted to the investigation into Burchell in late 2009, after customers complained about problems with their trophies.

The Daily Dispatch quotes Severinson as saying some trophies were “taking too long and [some] trophies [were] without correct documentation ...”.

Cabela’s claims it severed all ties with Burchell when the US authorities began to confiscate clients’ trophies.

According to court documents filed at the Grahamstown Court, Anglin informed Cabela’s that Burchell was “guilty of criminal activities”, “notoriously abusive to his own employees”, “unethical” in his hunting practices and did not pay his bills.

A Namibian hunter said several of Burchell’s US clients had their trophies confiscated during the past year by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which began investigating the claims against Burchell.

The source said Burchell’s shipping of trophies came under suspicion when animals he claimed were hunted on his farm in SA were in fact hunted in Namibia.

He added that the investigation into Burchell, and the fact that authorities in the US have confiscated trophies from hunters, are “very bad for Namibia’s reputation as a hunting destination.”

Burchell is no longer a member of NAPHA, after he stopped paying his membership fees.


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National News
02.12.2010
Burchell’s smuggling takes new turn
By: JANA-MARI SMITH

THE ILLEGAL smuggling of hunting trophies from Namibia into South Africa forms part of a major lawsuit filed this week in the United States against Barry Burchell and Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures (COA).
Scott Anglin, a former business partner of Burchell filed a civil action for damages to the amount of almost N$25 million against Burchell and COA this week.

Anglin accuses Burchell, and in some cases COA, of breaking hunting, conservation and export-import laws of Namibia, South Africa and the United States.

Anglin states that Burchell, who owns Frontier Safaris, and COA have for the past eight years at least “knowingly, continuously and regularly” violated “the game regulatory laws of the two host countries, South Africa and Namibia ...”.

He accuses Burchell of, amongst other things, illegally transporting wildlife trophies, including trophies of “protected or endangered” species, from Namibia into South Africa.

Anglin himself is embroiled in a N$12 million defamation lawsuit which was filed in South Africa by Burchell, but alleges in the court documents filed this week that Burchell and COA conspired together to bring the lawsuit against him in an attempt to sidetrack the investigations against Burchell and COA.

Anglin claims that the “fraudulent, baseless lawsuit in South Africa” was one of the methods Burchell and COA cooked up to silence him.

Another claim is that Frontier Safaris transported trophies or animal parts from SA to the US as “gifts or curios rather than animal trophy materials”.

Burchell’s hunting operations are being investigated jointly by the US Fish and Wildlife authorities, Interpol and SA authorities. Although Namibian authorities last week denied any involvement, a source said this week that the Namibian authorities are providing assistance.

Anglin says he suspects the international probe into Burchell’s activities is focused on “the legality or illegality of the hunting and the transportation of animals and trophies, including export and import between countries”.

Anglin filed his civil action on Monday under the provisions of the United States “Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO)”.

The court documents allege numerous “unlawful activities and also some unethical practices including human rights abuses by Burchell” during the past eight years, from 2002 until the early part of 2010.

Anglin says that he informed COA in 2004 and 2005 of his suspicions “about several illegal and unethical business practices of Barry G. Burchell, with regard to how he operated his hunting business providing safari hunting trips and related services”.

According to Anglin, when he discussed the issues with COA he did not yet know that Burchell and COA “were closely tied and interdependent in this enterprise’s business”.

Anglin says that he informed COA of “Burchell’s abuses of employees, illegal collection of Value Added Taxes (VAT) from the customers, extortion or blackmail efforts by Burchell ... and routine breaches of the game laws of the African countries where the hunts took place”. According to Anglin, “COA learned or was told repeatedly that Burchell was not operating legally, from 2005 or earlier, but took no corrective action”.

COA allegedly “finally suspended dealings with Burchell just this last spring, 2010, when the investigations became too obviously focused and dangerous,” Anglin states.

According to Anglin, his attempt to “blow the whistle” on Burchell’s abuse of Cabela’s hunting clients backfired when COA immediately informed Burchell of the allegations.

The court documents state that “COA and Burchell immediately conferred, collaborated and conspired to try to intimidate him to stop his disclosures ...”, including the filing of a defamation lawsuit against Anglin.

One of the main points in the defamation suit, is the claim by Burchell that COA stopped doing business with him from 2005 until 2007 as a result of Anglin’s accusation. However, in September 2010, Gregg Severinson, the Chief Operations Officer of COA testified that “Burchell in claiming a two year shut off of business from COA had lied, and if under oath that it was perjury”.

Anglin in addition accuses COA of collaboration with Burchell and assisting Burchell “in collecting taxes that were never owed or properly taxable”.

According to statements, including those from Burchell’s ex-wife, Anglin says that “Burchell did not turn in to the South African Revenue Service these illegally collected amounts, but rather kept them as added profit.”

Since the international investigation against Burchell kicked off several of Burchell’s customers who hunted in Namibia or South Africa have had their trophies confiscated by US authorities. Anglin speculates that “hundreds more such items are potentially subject or vulnerable to confiscation ...”.

I got caught up in that crap with Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures, Burchell's Frontier Safaris and their choice of import broker, Wesco Shipping Company.

My US Senator's office could do nothing at the time, 2005. I'm happy other authorities are on their trail now. Too bad so many other hunters had to suffer along the way.

Sorry to hear that Dave.

Brett

Here is an article about the earlier lawsuit against Scott Anglin. Allegedly this was a conspiracy by Cabelas and Burchell to shut him up.


‘Sex, lies and videotape’ battle looms


THE R12-million high stakes “sex, lies and videotape” court battle between controversial Eastern Cape hunting operator Barry Burchell and his former American business partner is set to turn even uglier when sensational new evidence is presented when the case resumes next year.

Burchell, who owns businesses and properties in the Alicedale area, is claiming Scott Anglin, a wealthy Texan hotel renovator, spread lies about him in the US states of Nebraska and Florida which ruined his hunting and taxidermy business, Frontier Safaris, to the tune of R12-million.

Burchell‘s beauty-queen wife, Lizelle, who holds the 2008/09 Mrs Worldwide pageant crown, has been drawn into the fray, with sources close to the case revealing that evidence that she allegedly conducted illegal business in the US in her husband‘s name was to be used in the upcoming trial.

The complex case, which began in the Grahamstown High Court in mid-2007 was given new direction in May, when Acting Judge Lila Crouse ruled on civil “loss of business” claims totalling about R3-million between the two parties and instructed the pending R12-million defamation suit be heard under US Nebraska law – a groundbreaking move in local courts.

The protracted feud between the former “bosom buddies” is set to deepen further following Anglin‘s arrival in the country last week flanked by numerous US investigators – among them retired FBI and IRS agents, according to Anglin – who have been tasked with “interviewing anyone Burchell has ever done business with” throughout the region.

The trial is expected to involve claims of racism, labour abuses and tax evasion by Anglin, while Burchell is believed to have handed over as evidence pornographic-styled photographs of his former friend posing nude with a Port Elizabeth stripper. But Judge Crouse‘s ruling that the defamation case be heard under Nebraska law has been a blow to Burchell, because of the particularly high value placed on freedom of expression by the US Constitution‘s First Amendment.

Speaking for the first time since the trial began, Anglin said he would leave no stone unturned to clear his name.

He said the case, which saw the business partners become enemies after their joint purchase of an Alicedale farm in 2003 turned sour, had cost him his marriage and the chance to bring his late father, who died last month, to see “the beautiful Eastern Cape countryside”.

Although the costly battle revolves primarily around the Alicedale farmland – Anglin said he was duped into paying $125000 (about R1-million) for the R900000 land – the Texan told Weekend Post he was adamant he would clear his name, at any cost. According to Anglin, Burchell told him his $125000 would cover just 25% of the farm‘s cost.

Anglin said he had so far spent “over R3-million” on the civil suit and was prepared to spend a further $1-million (about R8-million) on his investigators over the next three to six months.

“Barry sat in court and told blatant lies about me and he never produced any evidence. He said I was a criminal and that I had spent time in prison,” said a fuming Anglin. “He also said I‘d pulled a gun on him in front of clients and that I was a poor shot, which I certainly am not. It‘s not about the money, but about the fact that I am not lying.”

Anglin showed Weekend Post papers indicating he was a former US Army marksman as well as a signed statement from a US court citing he had never spent time in prison.

Anglin said his marriage had dissolved because of the case, after news surfaced that he had been pictured with another woman.

According to a source close to the case, evidence to be used in the trial alleges Lizelle Burchell conducted illegal dealings in the US, by smuggling in game skins for Frontier Safaris by illegally wrapping them as Christmas gifts to circumvent customs officials.

The Burchells have hit back and insisted they were proceeding with the defamation suit against Anglin.

“No permit is required to export these skins. If such a claim must be true then every person taking an ostrich wallet out of the country is doing illegal dealings, Lizelle said. It was dealt with by Jan Pienaar from Nature Conservation (a witness) during the last court case.”

Well, an "SCI panel which was probing the allegations found he had broken no laws". That should certainly put paid to any idea of sketchy dealings.



Burchell innocent of skin smuggling to US

CONTROVERSIAL Eastern Cape hunting operator Barry Burchell has been found innocent of charges he smuggled animal skins into the US as Christmas gifts to avoid paying customs duties on them.

Fresh from attending the international Safari Club International (SCI) convention in Reno, Nevada, last week, Burchell said an SCI panel which was probing the allegations found he had broken no laws in sending the impala and gemsbok skins to the US.

According to Burchell, the panel revealed it was his Texas-based nemesis and former business partner Scot Anglin who reported him to the organisation on “false pretences”.

SCI is the world’s largest hunting outfitters’ association.

The two former friends are now at each other’s throats in a looming R12-million “sex, lies and videotape” court battle in which Burchell is claiming Anglin defamed him to US clients, while sources from Anglin’s legal team claim there is a “sex tape” which will be brought into evidence showing Burchell cavorting with a local stripper – allegations vehemently denied by Burchell.

Burchell said: “It’s a relief to be found not guilty, even though I knew I was innocent, because now everyone else can know I’m innocent too.”

But, he said, his dealings with Anglin were “far from over”, with the resumption of the highly publicised Grahamstown High Court trial in July.

Anglin is refuting the claims that he spread lies about Burchell in the US. – Brian Hayward

Gregg Severinson, head of Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures says Burchell 'cooked the books' on hunt dates.

US, SA probe into Burchell hunting trophy exports


2010/11/16
Eddie Botha

A WELL-KNOWN Eastern Cape hunting operator has been named in an international and domestic investigation into the export of hunting trophies to the US.

In dramatic evidence to the US District Court in Nebraska, an employee of a worldwide American-based booking agency alleged that conservation authorities in both South Africa and the US were investigating Frontier Safaris, a hunting operation in Alicedale owned by Barry Burchell.

A source with the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (Dedea) said the investigation was the biggest of its kind in South Africa’s hunting industry.

The evidence by Gregg Severinson, head of Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures, forms part of a defamation case being heard in the Grahamstown High Court in which Burchell is suing his former Texan business partner, Scott Anglin, for R12-million.

Neither Burchell nor his lawyer, Port Elizabeth-based attorney Rob Parker, responded to requests for comment. Burchell’s wife, Lizelle, said: “Write what you like, nobody is interested, it is boring ... you are a little Jack Russell barking at the bus. I am not interested in talking to you.”

Burchell used Cabela’s booking agents in Nebraska, through which he got the majority of his American hunting clients. However, after a fallout with Anglin, the Texan informed Cabela’s that Burchell was “guilty of criminal activities”, “notoriously abusive to his own employees”, “unethical” in his hunting practices, and did not pay his bills, according to documents.

Severinson was questioned by Alan Peterson, a lawyer with the Cline Williams law firm, which represents Anglin. Asked by Peterson about export permits required to send trophies to hunters who had shot animals in South Africa, Severinson said he was aware of “a major investigation” into Frontier Safaris and Burchell.

Severinson said he had been interviewed on the matter by federal investigators David Hubert and Eric Jumper, attached to the US Fish and Wildlife agency.

He said he had also learnt that the South African equivalent of the US Fish and Wildlife agency was investigating Burchell. The Dedea source confirmed this when asked for comment.

The booking agent also testified about his family’s visit to Burchell’s game farm. He said they probably shot a dozen Springbok during their visit.

However, the date on an export permit for the trophies they had shot was wrong, showing the hunt took place in 2008. “It took place in 2007.”

Severinson also rejected another permit, which also showed the hunt to have taken place in 2008.

“No, our family hunted in Africa in 2007 because my eldest daughter Amy got married in 2008 and we wouldn’t have been there then.”

In the initial court documents, Burchell said Anglin’s statements had damaged his reputation and caused Cabela’s to stop placing bookings with Frontier Safaris, allegedly costing him millions of rands in profit.

In 2007, in a sworn affidavit over the phone to the San Antonio court, which was witnessed by the registrar of the Grahamstown High Court, Burchell said Cabela’s did not give him any new bookings for 2005. “They stopped taking bookings for our operation, they placed the hunters elsewhere ... for a two-year period.”

However, Severinson said this was a lie. He had proof of bookings made to Frontier Safaris in 2005 and 2006.

“If he was under oath, it would be in fact a lie and perjury,” said Peterson.

The case has been postponed until next year.

S. African safari guide denies Neb. lawsuit claims
By JOSH FUNK Associated Press © 2010 The Associated Press
Dec. 3, 2010, 3:30PM


OMAHA, Neb. — A South African hunting guide never cheated hunters or violated laws and the Texas man levying the accusations in a federal lawsuit is a disgruntled former business partner, the guide's wife said Friday.

Barry Burchell was sued in Nebraska this week by Scott Anglin, who alleges that Burchell overcharged his clients and lacked permission to hunt on certain lands. The lawsuit also names Cabela's Outdoor Adventures, a Nebraska-based outdoor gear chain that sold hunting trips led by Burchell's Frontier Safaris business.

Burchell's wife, Lizelle, wrote in an e-mail Friday that her husband and Anglin were once friends but have been fighting for several years. She said the lawsuit's allegations were false.

A spokesman for Cabela's said the company, which has large retail stores across the country, doesn't comment on pending litigation.

In his lawsuit, Anglin alleges that Burchell added an unnecessary 14 percent tax to the price of his trips to pad his profits and that Cabela's helped collect the fees. Anglin said Burchell broke several U.S., South African and Namibian laws because he lacked permission to hunt on certain land and never secured proper documentation to export hunting trophies to America.

At least 281 people paid Cabela's for hunts with Burchell in South Africa that may have violated hunting laws, according to Anglin's lawsuit.

Anglin went on hunts with Burchell that he bought through Cabela's in South Africa and Namibia in 2002 and 2003. The men became friends after they hunted together, and Burchell even travelled to America to hunt with Anglin, Lizelle Burchell said.

Later, Anglin bought some South African hunting land from Burchell and the two developed a golf course. But the business relationship soured.

"We have done nothing wrong. It is a personal vendetta he has against us," Lizelle Burchell wrote.

The Burchell have a defamation lawsuit against Anglin pending in South Africa. That case was filed in 2005, after Anglin began contacting Cabela's about his concerns about Burchell's business.

Anglin said he gave a significant amount of evidence about Burchell to Cabela's, but the company didn't cut ties with Burchell until March of this year.

Anglin's lawyer, Alan Peterson of Lincoln, declined to comment on the case.

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US man sues SA guide in hunting dispute
2010-12-04 10:04

Omaha - A Texas man says a South African guide cheated him and other hunters during safari trips.

Scott Anglin, of San Antonio, asks for $1.2m from Barry Burchell and Cabela's Outdoor Adventures in his lawsuit. The trips were sold by a Cabela’s subsidiary.

Anglin says Burchell added an unnecessary tax to the price of his trips to pad his profits, and Cabela's helped collect the fees. Anglin says Burchell broke several US, South African and Namibian laws because he lacked permission to hunt on certain land and proper documentation to export hunting trophies to America.

Anglin's lawyer, Alan Peterson, declined to comment on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Sidney-based Cabela's says the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.

Barry Burchell's wife, Lizelle Burchell, said in an e-mail on Friday that Anglin's allegations are not true, but Anglin and Burchell, who used to be friends, have been fighting for several years.

The Burchells have a defamation lawsuit against Anglin pending in South Africa.


- SAPA

He said, she said, who said , He said, He did, Not me, but the question is Who did?
Sounds like the two biggest criminals in the world "Not Me, and "I don't Know"!!!

Mike

????? Since Cabelas is a long time Corporate Sponsor, longtime exhibitor and supporter of SCI that SCI hasn't been dragged into this yet for "aiding and abetting" Cabelas by some here ??

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member