WILDLEX

This is an appeal by the appellant against his conviction and sentence by the Regional Court magistrate, Upington, on charges of contravention of sections 44(1)(b)(i) and 46 of the Nature and Environmental Conservation Ordinance 19 of 1974.

The court held that in this matter, it was common cause that a South African Court had jurisdiction to decide ownership of the Sable based on the cession agreement. The court found that the cession agreement had been signed by the attorney, acting under the authority of the first respondent.

The appellant was found guilty in the Upington Magistrate’s Court, and appealed his conviction and sentence to the Northern Cape High Court where the conviction and sentence on the first count was set aside, and the conviction on the second count confirmed but the sentence was amended.

On the 1st day of August 2021 rangers of Queen Elizabeth Conservation area attached to Katoru police post while on their patrol in the area of Katoru within Queen Elizabeth arrested the accused who entered the park illegally and they had two pangas and brought to Kasese police station and later appeared in court.

The arresting officer got information that there were people having hippo teeth in Katunguru trading centre and looking for a buyer.

The accuse person was on the 13th day of September 2020 found in the areas of Kahendero in Queen Elizabeth National Park a place he entered illegally. He was arrested and taken to Muhokya police station and charged accordingly.

The rangers attached to Queen Elizabeth Conservation area got information that the accused person had killed a buffalo in the park. A search was conducted at his home by the said officers who recovered meat suspected to belong to wild animals, snares and a panga.

On the 19th day of October 2020, the Uganda Wildlife Authority security operators were on patrol, in the areas of Queen Elizabeth National Park who came across the accused person and other people who took off. They managed to arrest only the accused with three fishing baskets, a panga and immature fish.

According to a ranger attached to Uganda Wildlife Authority, he arrested the accused person in a wildlife conservation area, photographed him with an axe and other exhibits.

The accused person on the 18th day of June 2019, illegally entered Queen Elizabeth National Park at Katunguru. He was found in possession of a dead hippopotamus and devices capable of killing that is a spear and panga.