While he was an employee in a logging concession located at Mandji-Ndolou, Yeno Matamba discovered ivory tusks that he decided to keep. Following the advice of his uncle who offered to help him, Yeno went to Libreville to sell the products at XAF800,000. Unfortunately, for them at the moment they were doing the transaction they were arrested by judicial police officers who found them in possession of two ivory tusks cut in pieces and hidden in a military bag. Yeno recognized to have possessed, transported and tried to trade in trophies of fully protected species without administrative authorization. Moungala denied the facts and declared not knowing about the transaction when he was asked by Yeno to go to the place and it is only when he was there that he discovered that Yeno has used his military bag to hide the products.
Country
Territorial subdivision
Type of court
Seat of court
Libreville
Court jurisdiction
Date of opinion
2020
Abstract
Language of document
French
Reference number
Decision No 012/2019-2020
Charges
Possession, transport, trade in ivory tusks; Complicity of trade in ivory tusks.
Species
Transnational
No
Decision
Moungala Andre Cédric was found not guilty; Yeno Matamba Dan Mith was found guilty of transport of ivory tusks and of possession and attempt trade in ivory tusks.
Appealed
No
Penalty
Yeno Matamba was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment including 1 year suspended; The accused was sentenced to pay the sum of XAF 1,000,000 (one million )as civil damages; The accused was sentenced to a fine of XAF 2,800,000 (two million eight hundred thousand) including XAF 2,300,000 (two million three hundred thousand) suspended The accused were sentenced to pay the costs; The court ordered the sealed products to be made available to the competent administration.
Legislation cited
Decree No 163/PR/MEF setting the conditions for the possession, transport and trade in wild animal species, trophies and hunting products