Exporters of govt trophies worth 792 million/- in court
By Rosemary Mirondo

22nd July 2009

Some of the suspects in the case related to the unlawful hunting of scheduled animals, unlawful dealing in government trophies and the exporting of concealed goods at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate`s Court.

Six businessmen were yesterday arraigned in the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court facing several counts of conspiracy, unlawful hunting of protected animals, unlawful dealing in government trophies and unlawful export of trophies.

The accused were arraigned before two different magistrates for exporting government trophies worth 791,514,020/-.

Accused Shaban Yasin Yabulule (44), executive director Kigoma M.N. Enterprises (T) Ltd, Eladius Tesha Colonerio (39), director, and Gabriel Chombo Balua, import and export manager, both from Team Frieght (T), were charged before Resident Magistrate Haniseta Wambura for exporting 9,578kg of elephant tusks valued at 684,827,000/- without lawful authority to Hai Phong port in Vietnam and Manila, Philippines.

Other accused are Colonerio Balua and Nebart Kiwale (45) director, Issa Ahmed Lweno (40) both from Uplands Freight Forwarders (T) Ltd, and Abubakar Omary Hassan (38) Director of Nectar Logistics Ltd were charged before Resident Magistrate Mohamed Mchegelo for exporting 1,483kgs of elephant tusks valued at 106,687,020/- without lawful authority to Manila, Philippines.

The prosecution alleged in court that in an unknown period within the areas protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act they hunted elephants which are secluded animals and obtained elephants tusks worth the said amount, property of the government, without a valid game hunting licence, and carried on the business of trophies without a valid trophy dealer’s licence.

The accused were also charged that at the Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, they illegally exported the said elephant tusks without a valid trophy export certificate and transferred them to the said countries without a valid transfer permit.

The prosecution further claimed that the accused were in possession of government trophies without a valid licence and failed to report unlawful possession of the trophies.

The accused are also charged with uttering false documents including shipping order number HKMSC9565 issued by Sharaf Shipping Agency (T) Ltd, and a customs declaration form with registration number 77925 dated 27 October, 2008 for container no. TSLU 6219947 porporting to be valid shipping documents for the goods destined for Manila in the Philippines, and another shipping order number DAR001793 dated 22 December, 2008, a bill of lading number DAR 002348/1 and DAR 002348 shipping order number DAR 001792 dated 22 December, 2008 and Bill of Lading number DAR 002347 issued by CMA CGM(T) Ltd and custom declaration form with registration number R93832 dated 23 December, 2008 for containers number ECMU 1721884 and ECMU 1642240 destined for Hai Phong Port, Vietnam and Manilla Philippines while knowing the said to be false.

The accused were also charged with exporting elephant tusks which are prohibited, restricted and unaccustomed by concealing them as recycled waste plastics while knowing them to be the property of the government.

On the last count, it was alleged that they used false documents to ship the said tusks to the said countries.

The accused were not allowed to enter any plea because it is an economic crimes case.

The cases were adjourned to July 28 and August 6, this year, for bail consideration.


SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN