SAPS, SANDF & SANParks Employees Involved in Poaching

[Toko]

Lowvelder: Black rhino down: cops and ex-ranger arrested

Three suspects that were arrested in the Kruger National Park this week face charges of corruption, trespassing and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Two are police constables and one an ex field ranger.

Susanna Oosthuizen | 30 May 2014 09:01

HAZYVIEW – Two police constables stationed in Skukuza and a former SANParks field ranger was remanded in custody after their arrest on Tuesday night on charges of rhino poaching.
The suspects appeared in the local court on Thursday on charges of illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of ammunition, conspiracy to commit rhino poaching, trespassing and corruption.
The accused are Mr Arnold Mashele and Morris Seshlabela, as well as Mr Phineas Binda, who was a field ranger in KNP for 25 years. Binda was relieved of his duties in September last year after a disciplinary hearing on unrelated charges.
The arrests came after a joint operation between the Hawks and officials of the Kruger National Park. Park rangers and the Endangered Species team of the Hawks were performing routine duties on Tuesday morning when they came across a black rhinoceros carcass.
After receiving a tip-off, the team pulled over a marked Skukuza police van. Upon further investigation, a suspected poacher, armed with a .375 hunting rifle and rounds of ammunition, was found. The constables could not give a satisfactory explanation when asked about the man and the weapon. According to sources, when Mashele and Seshlabela were apprehended, they claimed Dinda was a poaching suspect. What they couldn’t explain was why he was found in the back of the police van with the rifle, knives and a panga.The rifle, ammunition, a silencer and poaching equipment were seized.
The minister of environmental affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, congratulated the SANParks and SAPS officers who performed the arrests on their outstanding work. “The arrests sends a strong message that officials alleged to be involved in poaching will be arrested to face the full might of the law,” she said.
Maj Gen Simon Mapyane, the Head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, applauded the team, under the stewardship of Col Johan Brits, for work well done. “Col Brits is going on pension this Friday, May 30, after serving the police for 39 years and eight days. He is leaving a legacy and has handed the mantle to the team,” Mapyane remarked. He added that the suspects were tasked with the responsibility to patrol the roads around the park and to confront suspicious vehicles, but it was clear that they were doing the opposite.
In court it was revealed that traces of blood were found in both the private vehicles of one of the accused and in the unmarked police vehicle. At the time of the suspects’ appearance, a forensic unit was still processing the blood samples taken.
The state requested that the suspects be remanded in custody in White River until further investigations is concluded in Skukuza. They will appear in Skukuza on June 4 for their bail application.
More arrests may follow.

[nan]

very sad

[Richprins]

After receiving a tip-off


How is this then a result of a joint investigation?

Anyway, good news!

[Toko]

Alleged rhino poachers’ appeal denied in the High Court

Acting Judge Francois Botes entrenched the refusal of accused police officers’ bail application.
Helene Eloff | 14 October 2014 16:18

TSHWANE – Three men suspected of poaching rhino in the Kruger National Park (KNP) earlier this year, appeared in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday to appeal their unsuccessful bail applications.
Three police officers, Constables Arnold Mashele, Morris Sehlabela and Dennis Mkhonto approached the North Gauteng High Court to appeal their respective bail applications that were unsuccessful before Magistrates Baloyi and Ntombeni on separate occasions in the White River Magistrate’s Court.
Messrs Mashele, Sehlabele and Mr Phineas Dinda, who was previously employed as a game ranger in the Kruger National Park, were arrested on May 27. They face charges of corruption, trespassing, conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. After their first bail application was denied by Magistrate Winnie Baloyi on July 15, Mashele brought a new bail application on a fresh set of facts, which was also denied.
Magistrate Heki Ntombeni denied the bail application of Mkhonto on July 22.
Sehlabela, Dinda and Mkhonto’s appeal was denied by Acting Judge Francois Botes on Monday and they will remain in custody until the completion of the trial. No trial date has been determined in this matter yet and will be announced in the Skukuza Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

[mposthumus]

thanx Toks

[Toko]

Rhino protectors become killers - court

2014-11-12 19:52

Nelspruit - Three police constables and an ex-corporal field ranger implicated in rhino poaching appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Wednesday.

The constables, Arnold Mashele, Dennis Mkhonto and Morris Sehlabela and the field ranger, Phineas Dinda, were not asked to plead to charges of conspiracy to hunt rhino and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, a Sapa correspondent reported.

Mashele, Sehlabela and Dinda were arrested in May after a joint operation between the Hawks and national park officials. Mkhonto was arrested later.

According to national police spokesperson Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale, after the park officials received a tip-off in May, they pulled over a marked Skukuza police bakkie.

Makgale said in a statement that upon further investigation a suspected poacher, armed with a .375 hunting rifle and rounds of ammunition, was found in the back of the vehicle.

He said the firearm, ammunition, a silencer and poaching equipment were seized.

Prosecutor Isbet Erwee on Wednesday asked for a postponement in order to supply the accused's defense with their case dockets.

All four would remain in custody.

Magistrate Andre Geldenhuys postponed the case until 27 January for the dockets to be made available to the defence.

[Toko]

KZN cop arrested over rhino horn charges

09 January 2015 at 12:36 by Diane Macpherson -
A 48-year-old police officer from Zululand has been arrested on numerous charges including armed robbery and the possession of rhino horn.

The arrest was made last night in an undercover operation at Mkhuze.
The policeman is due to appear in the Ubombo Magistrates Court today.
The crime intelligence unit officer from Jozini was nabbed in a joint undercover operation last night involving Durban Organised Crime, Durban Special Task Force, Crime Intelligence and the Nyathi Anti-Poaching Unit.
On top of the armed robbery and possession of rhino horn charges, he will also be charged with defeating the ends of justice.
Two rhino horns, among other items, have been recovered.

[Richprins]

This is our biggest problem, unfortunately. State/provincial employees who collude!

[Toko]

Cop caught with rhino horns gets R500 bail

Simon Bloch | 16 Januar, 2015 00:25

A police officer who was allegedly caught in possession of rhino horns during a sting operation has been released on bail.The crime intelligence police officer, Christopher Gumbi, 48, was released from police custody on R500 bail.

Gumbi was charged with armed robbery upon his arrest but this charge had been dropped when he appeared in court, representing himself.

Natasha Ramkisson, KwaZulu-Natal spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said: "The prosecutor is the person who formulates the charges by applying the law to what is contained within the docket."

Gumbi was arrested a week ago after he arranged to meet two undercover agents posing as poachers.

He allegedly pointed his police-service revolver at them, and fled with the horns in an unmarked police car disguised with fake registration plates.

He pleaded not guilty to possession of rhino horns and defeating the ends of justice.

DA police spokesman Dianne Kohler Barnard said Gumbi's release "speaks of endemic corruption".

She said poaching syndicates appeared to have infiltrated the country's judicial system.

"For this officer to be given what appears to be special treatment tells me the local [authorities] either do not take it seriously, or are being paid off by rhino horn dealers and organised crime syndicates."

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said Gumbi returned to work on Monday.

"An internal investigation is being conducted and departmental steps will be taken against him. He is not carrying his firearm as it was taken away during his arrest."

[Toko]

A crime intelligence officer involved Can it get any worse