WILDLEX

During September 2020, the named MOKOKO Bernard was approached by a friend, who made him understand that he knew someone who needed to buy ivory tusks. While he had two tusks of 6 kg, he got closer to ANGOUO Appolinaire who was providing him with two ivory tusks of 5 kg and MBONGOMBE Jean who also had two tusks of 7 kg.

On 14 November2012 in Libreville, AMOUGOU Maurice Magloire and GUEYE MOR MATY were caught red handed by Water and Forests and counter-intelligence agents transporting ivory tusks in a hotel and arrested. GUEYE MOR MATY recognized to have kept 29 kg in his house before offering them for sale to AMOUGOU.

During October and November in Gamba, Diakite Oumar received a phone call from one known as Traore who wanted to purchase ivory. Diakite then contacted several hunters from whom he purchased 47.8kg of ivory. He then went to Libreville with the products to sell them.

In February 2020 at Cocobeach, while he was at his house ETOUGHE NGUEMA Philibert BEKALE was approached by ENGONE Jean who offered to sale him two ivory tusks removed from an elephant carcass in a state of decay.

Nguiamoussangou killed one elephant and removed the two tusks that he kept for ten days. Later on Lemy went to his house to collect the tusks for sale. Informed of the illegal transaction, an undercovered agent offered to buy the tusks and it is at this moment that both were arrested.

At the heart of this matter were the customary rights to marine resources. The appellants were tried at the Magistrate court and later appealed to the High Court in Mthatha. The Hight Court, however, held that their conduct was unlawful because they had not applied for an exemption as contemplated in the MLRA, granting them a permit to fish.

The court held that the appellants were protecting the lives of the cubs and as well as their legal interest in the survical of the cubs as the owners of the very expensive animals.

The appellant was found to have been complicit in the transaction where a fake rhino horn was sold in a police trap for R350 000. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. The appellant unsuccessfully appealed to the Free State High Court against his conviction and sentence.

In December 2019, at Mekambo in Ogooué-Ivindo a joint mission of ANPN and counter-intelligence and military security agents of Makokou was carried out following an information related to the possession of two ivory tusks by MANGOKE MAMBO Robert and ETEMALONGO Frédérick at Ilounene village.

In 2019, MAMBELO Françis was arrested by judicial police officers when he was about to sell ivory tusks in a hotel room located at Potos area in Franceville. He admitted the facts during his interrogation but declared that he was not the owner of the tusks and he wanted to sell them to get some money.