They are Jonathan Joseph, alias Baraka Mlungushi, who was jailed 180 years, Noah Sajilo, Shukran Nyang’a alias Patrick and Hassan Juma, alias Mpembee Mjendwa, who were each sentenced to 100 years imprisonment and Gabriel Akyoo, who was jailed a total of 60 years.
Resident Magistrate Stella Kiama imposed the sentences last week against the poachers after convicting them of the offences they were charged with.
She ruled that the prosecution, led by State Attorneys Salim Msemo, Patrida Muta and Tulumanywa Majigo, proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The charges preferred by the prosecution against them included unlawful possession and dealing in government trophies, unlawful hunting of a scheduled animal, unlawful possession of weapons in certain circumstances and failure to keep safe custody of firearms.
There were two sets of economic cases against them. The first case involved Joseph, Juma and Akyoo.
During the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses and tendered 18 exhibits. All the accused persons defended themselves without calling additional witnesses.
The second case involved Sajilo and Nyang’a, where six prosecution witnesses testified and eleven exhibits were tendered to support the charges against the two individuals, who also defended themselves without calling additional witnesses to beef up their defence
Having been satisfied by the evidence tendered, the magistrate sentenced them to 20 years imprisonment on each count under which they were charged jointly and separately and thereafter convicted.
Joseph was facing nine counts, one of unlawful hunting of a scheduled animal, two of unlawful possession of government trophies, three of unlawful dealing in government trophies, four of unlawful possession of weapons in certain circumstances and one of failure to keep safe custody of firearms.
Juma was facing five charges, including one of unlawful hunting of a scheduled animal, two of unlawful possession of government trophies, one of unlawful dealing in government trophies and one count of unlawful possession of weapons in certain circumstances.
On his part, Akyoo was charged with three counts of unlawful hunting of a scheduled animal, unlawful possession of government trophies and unlawful dealing in government trophies.
Sajilo and Nyang’a faced five counts each, two of unlawful possession of government trophies and three of unlawful dealing in government trophies. The magistrate ordered the sentences to run concurrent.
This means that the poachers will remain behind bars for 20 years only.
Government trophies involved in the two cases were three pieces of elephant tusks, boiled elephant meat and dry elephant meat, pangolin and buffalo horn.