Poacher sentenced to seven years in prison
The poacher was arrested in June last year and was sentenced by the Skukuza Regional Court on Tuesday March 22.
A convicted poacher was sentenced to seven years in prison following a ruling by the Skukuza Regional Court on Tuesday March 22.
Brian Phiri (40) was arrested at Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park on June 14 last year.
“Field rangers who were on duty noticed some suspects’ prints which alerted them that there were intruders who had entered the park without permission,” said a provincial police spokesperson, Brig Selvy Mohlala.
ALSO READ: Trial of Johan Louwrens to continue on May 13
“It also appeared to the rangers that the intruders had gained entry through the Sekelbospan area. They then followed up on the prints with the help of a tracker dog and managed to track down the suspects. “
“Phiri was apprehended. However, one of the suspects fled and is still at large. The accused was reportedly found in possession of a .458 hunting rifle with its serial numbers filed off, seven Win Mag cartridges of a .458 rifle, and two backpacks as well as an axe.”
He said the Skukuza police were then informed and upon their arrival the man was arrested. An investigation revealed that the accused is from Mozambique and was in the country illegally.
On March 22, the case was finalised. For trespassing, Phiri was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and for contravention of the Immigration Act, he was sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga High Court orders taxi associations to stop violence directed at UMP motorists
Meanwhile on the count of possession of a prohibited firearm, he was slapped with seven years’ imprisonment. On a count of possession of unlicensed ammunition, he got a sentence of two years’ imprisonment while on a count of possession of dangerous weapon, Phiri was sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
The court ordered that all other counts run concurrently with the count of possession of a prohibited firearm. The accused will therefore be incarcerated for an effective seven years.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, said she appreciated the collaborative efforts that had produced the desired results. “We applaud the good work done by various stakeholders, including the field rangers, investigators, prosecution team as well as the judiciary,” she said.
