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The Babati District Court in Manyara region has sentenced two people to twenty years in prison each for the offense of economic sabotage.
The two were accused of being found in possession of a giraffe head, skin, and 40 kilograms of its meat.
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The judgment was delivered by the Magistrate of the Babati District Court, Victor Kimario, after hearing both sides.
The defendants were named as Paulo John (23), a resident of Mapea Village, and Athuman Misanya (31), a resident of Mamire.
Kimario stated that the defendants committed the offense on February 2nd of this year in the Burunge Reserve area, contrary to Section 86(2)(c) of the Wildlife Conservation Act, Chapter 283 as amended in 2022, read together with Section 60(2) of the Economic Sabotage Act, Chapter 200 as amended in 2022.
He said the defendants were both found in possession of the contraband while carrying it in a bucket.
Kimario said the first and second witnesses confirmed to the Court that there were four of them but the others escaped.
“They all confessed to being found in the bush to catch fish, but they claim it was fish, however, it was giraffe meat, there is no doubt it was giraffe meat,” said Kimario.
He said the prosecution has undoubtedly proven that the defendants were found with government contraband despite claiming it was fish.
The government prosecutor from the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Getrude Kariongi, said they have no previous records of the defendants committing offenses, but killing a giraffe damages the nation’s emblem.
She said removing an animal from its ecosystem affects other animals, while giraffes are tourist attractions and generate revenue for the nation.
She also said the meat they were caught with was valued at $20,000 (Tanzanian Shillings 50 million).
Therefore, she requested the Court to confiscate the motorcycle and bucket they were found with to be government property.
The defense lawyer, Festo Jackson, said his clients are first-time offenders, they are the workforce of the nation, and they have dependents, so he requested the Court to reduce their sentence.
After hearing both sides, Magistrate Kimario said the defendants misused their strength to sabotage the government by killing a giraffe, which is the nation’s emblem
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