Home Madagascar Madagascar: the Tana river court sentences the poachers of Dik-Dik to 15 years in prison

Madagascar: the Tana river court sentences the poachers of Dik-Dik to 15 years in prison

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A court in Garsen, Tana River County, sentenced three men to 15 years in prison each for poaching.

In the ruling on Thursday, the court also fined each of the men 3 million shillings for three counts.

Sharif Ngala (39), Kingi Charo (25) and Baraka Thoya (20) pleaded guilty to poaching 140 dik-diks, three teramuks and porcupine meat in front of the principal principal magistrate Paul Rotich.

The court found the trio guilty of trafficking in wildlife carcasses, murdering wildlife without a license and possessing wildlife trophies.

“These three are a danger to wildlife conservation and have caused imbalance in the ecosystem through their actions,” he said.

Each of the charges resulted in a fine of 1 million shillings, with the 15-year sentences to run concurrently.

The three men were arrested Tuesday in Didima Bula, in Tana Delta sub-county, with game poached from the Malkahalaku Community Conservancy.

Four motorcycles, torches and a horn were also found in their possession.

The poachers will serve their sentence in Malindi prison.

The conviction comes just days after a court in Voi jailed another group of poachers for 16 years after they were found in possession of 187 dik-diks in Galana Ranch, Kilifi County.

Kavila Charo, Katana Unda and Bugo Suluhu pleaded guilty on June 21 to three counts related to the poaching of wildlife and will serve their prison terms at the Manyani Maximum Prison.

Soduor@ke.nationmedia.com