Seven in court for illegal possession of government trophies 

SEVEN people appeared before Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s  Court in Dar es Salaam  on Friday  charged with nine  counts,  including buying, selling, possessing, and transporting ivory worth over 4bn/-  and  two pieces of hippopotamus’ teeth  valued at  3.4m/-

The accused are Hassan Likwena (39),  Bushiri Likwena, Oliver Mchuwa (35),  Haidary Sharifu (44), Joyce Thomas (33), Abdul Abdalah (35) and Salama Mshamu (21), all residents of  Dar es Salaam.

Before the Principal Magistrate Evodia Kyaruzi,  all the accused denied  the charges and were  granted bail with the condition of  each securing two reliable sureties to sign a 50m/- bond.

Magistrate Kyaruzi also ordered all the accused to surrender before the court their passports and any other travelling documents.

The case was adjourned to November 16 this year when it will come for mention. According to the prosecution investigations into the case has been completed.

Reading the charge sheet, State Attorney Esther Martin told the court that the accused committed the offences on diverse dates at unknown places in Coast and Mtwara regions between 2017 and 2019.

She alleged that, the accused number one Hassan Likwena, on January 1, 2017 and September 2, 2019, in Mtwara and Coast regions, joined a gang in selling, buying, possessing, and transporting 413 elephant tusks worth over 4bn/- without a permit.

Assisted by Senior State Attorney, Tumaini Mafuvu, she further claimed that, the accused alleged that on January 1, 2017, and September 3, 2019, in the Dar es Salaam region, they received, sold, and transported elephant tusks without a special permit while knowing that doing so  was against the law.

She claimed that in the third count, all the accused are charged for being involved in government trophies, where it is alleged that on January 1 and 9, 2017; the defendants possessed 2 pieces of hippopotamus teeth worth 3.4m/- without permission, contrary to the Wildlife Conservation Act.

Similarly, it was alleged in the fourth and fifth count on September 3, 2019 the accused Saleh Shabani and his colleagues were found with two pieces of hippopotamus teeth in the Saku Chamazi areas.

The prosecution informed the court that, in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth counts the accused are charged with money laundering

It was alleged that on January 1 and September 3, 2017, the accused Hassan Likwena  at Kivule, and the accused Abdala Hamis at Saku Mbagala, illegally obtained vehicles (a Scania with registration number T431 BKM, ToyotaT197 ACG, and Toyota Mark II T681 DFM) while knowing clearly that they infringing the law.