SAPS, SANDF & SANParks Employees Involved in Poaching

[Richprins]

One interesting thing, and that applies to many criminals here, is that they are kept in jail for years as the trail goes on and don't get bail.If eventually convicted, that time is taken off the sentence.

If not, or they get off on a technicality, too bad so sad...that jail time has passed!

[Richprins]

Three cops and a ranger accused of poaching walk free
The high court judge said the case worried him and that our country’s national heritage was under siege.


MBOMBELA – The SAPS’ anti-corruption unit failed to investigate corruption and poaching charges levelled against three of its own timeously. When it came to light that investigations against Constables Arnold Mashele, Morris Sehlabela, Dennis Mkhonto and game ranger Mr Phineas Dinda had not yet been completed, the case against them was struck from the Nelspruit Regional Court’s roll recently.

Lowvelder had been reporting on the “three cops and a ranger” case for more than a year. In May 2014, the paper reported that Mashele and Sehlabela had been arrested after a joint operation between the Hawks and Kruger National Park officials.

It was alleged that Mashele and Sehlabela were assisting a suspected poacher (Dinda).

Since their arrest, they had applied for and appealed a number of bail applications, which were unsuccessful.

Mashele’s, Sehlabela’s and Mkontho’s applications started on June 4 last year. Dinda’s bail application was heard and denied on July 2.

On July 15, Mashele and Sehlabela applied for bail again, on the 22nd magistrate Ms Winnie Baloyi denied their request. Mashele brought a new bail application on a fresh set of facts, which was also denied by magistrate Mr Heki Ntombeni.

Sehlabela, Mkhonto and Mashele headed to the High Court to try their luck. Judge Mr Francois Botes did not grant their application.

He said they had a responsibility to protect our animals, which they had forsaken: “It is the responsibility of the SAPS and SANParks to protect rhinos from being poached. Members of the SAPS and SANParks should not take part in the illegal and unlawful poaching of rhinos.”
He said the case gave him great reason to worry and that our country’s national heritage was under siege.

This didn’t stop Mashele from applying for bail in the White River Magistrate’s court a month ago.
This time, his health served as motivation for his application. Magistrate Ms Winnie Baloyi again denied bail.

When the case against the four was withdrawn, magistrate Mr André Geldenhuys said it could be reinstated following more police investigations.



http://lowvelder.co.za/306838/three-cop ... walk-free/

[Richprins]

SANDF soldier’s poaching trial to continue next year
The state had at least established a prima facie case against the accused
December 8, 2015


MBOMBELA – South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier, Mr Boet Mashego, and his co-accused Mr Micheal Sithole, tried in vain to prove that the state’s case against them was nothing more than a fabrication in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Wednesday.

The magistrate, Mr André Geldenhuys, decided that the state had at least established a prima facie case against the accused and that they would therefore have to defend themselves against poaching allegations on January 21.

Mashego and Sithole allegedly poached three rhinos and stole their six horns on three different occasions. According to the charge sheet, this happened on June 10, June 22 and September 30, 2010.

Rangers had previously testified encountering the two men at 03:45 in the Stolsnek area of the Kruger National Park (KNP). Mashego allegedly pointed his firearm in the rangers’ direction and a shoot-out ensued during which he was wounded.

Mashego and Sithole’s attorney, Mr Daniel Mabunda, has said that his clients will testify that they were not poaching any rhinos. He added that they were innocent and that they were merely walking around in the area looking for herbs and cattle.

They will finally be offered the opportunity to prove this next year.

On October 1, Lowvelder reported:

MBOMBELA – On Monday the state closed its case against former SANDF soldier Mr Boet Mashego, and Mr Micheal Sithole. They applied for the charges against them to be dropped.

Mashego and Sithole stand accused of poaching three rhinos and stealing their six horns on three different occasions. These crimes were allegedly committed in the Kruger National Park on June 10, June 22 and September 30, 2010.

It was testified that at 03:45 on the last date, game rangers encountered the two men in the Stolsnek area. They were positioned close to the park’s fence. When Mashego pointed his firearm in the rangers’ direction, a shoot-out ensued and he was wounded. According to testimony led during the trial, the two were arrested with rhino horns in their possession.

When the state closed its case, defence attorney, Mr Daniel Mabunda applied for his client, Sithole, to be discharged. Mabunda alleged that the state’s case against his client was fabricated. He added that they were innocent and that they were merely walking around in the area looking for herbs and cattle.

Senior state advocate, Ms Isabet Erwee’s counter argument held that the state had called numerous witnesses throughout the trial. She added that sufficient evidence had thus far been adduced against the accused to warrant the continuation of their trial.

The magistrate, Mr André Geldenhuys, postponed the case to October 15, when he would confirm whether the case against them would continue.


http://lowvelder.co.za/295192/sandf-sol ... -its-case/

[Richprins]

“We were framed,” says poaching accused in Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court
Sithole said guns and rhino horn were propped up next to him. He claims a photo shoot that followed led to him being framed.
1 day ago


MBOMBELA – The poaching trial of Mr Micheal Sithole and Mr Boet Mashego, trained soldier and chef at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), continued in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Thursday. Both accused elaborated on their defence arguments from the witness stand.

Although they were found close to a poached rhino in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in September 2013, they maintained that they were innocent of poaching. Apparently Mashego was searching for his cattle and Sithole digging for herbs when they were stormed by SANParks’ rangers, who then took incriminating photos of them with poaching weapons they had never seen before.

During their previous court appearances, a game ranger who may not be identified, testified that Mashego and Sithole had been found close to a rhino-poaching scene on September 25, 2013. He said they were positioned on either side of the KNP’s fence. It was testified that Mashego pointed his firearm in the direction of the rangers who had found them. Rangers opened fire and Mashego was shot.

Mr Frik Rossouw, senior investigator of Environmental Crime Services, photographed the accused after their arrest. Pictures of them next to rhino horn, hunting knives and firearms allegedly found in their possession, were presented to court.

On Thursday Sithole said he had been the victim of a conspiracy against him. Sithole swore that he had been digging for special herbs when he heard rangers calling him from afar.
“I put down my hand tool and the bag that I wanted to put the herbs in,” he said. When he reached the rangers, Sithole was told to lie down. He said guns and rhino horn were propped up next to him. According to Sithole, the photo shoot that followed led to him being framed.

During cross-examination, senior state advocate Ms Isabet Erwee said Sithole’s version was riddled with inconsistencies. She added that ballistic evidence linked the events of September 25 with the poaching of three more rhino on June 10 and September 22 that year. Sithole reasoned that this would be impossible, as he was “sitting at home, doing nothing” on those days.

When Mashego took the witness stand, he said he was as innocent as Sithole. According to Mashego, he had lost his cattle in the field and was looking for them when he was stormed by rangers and arrested.

His attorney, Mr Auper Klaas Khoza, presented Erwee and the magistrate, Mr André Geldenhuys, with copies of the SANDF in Mbombela’s attendance registers for June and September that year. According to these copies, Mashego was at work during the time that some of the said poaching had been committed.

However, Erwee pointed out that Khoza had not provided the court with the original register or certified copies
of it. The case was postponed to February 5.


http://lowvelder.co.za/313036/we-were-f ... tes-court/

[Toko]

http://liveinstagram.com/MediaInfo/1202 ... 1787436748


sapoliceservice_za#sapsHQ #Hawks Mpumalanga:Skukuza: Yesterday afternoon a suspended member of Saps Skukuza was again arrested near #Skukuza in the #KrugerNationalPark for possesion of unlicensed firearm and ammo with three other suspects. A .458 rifle with 20 live rounds of ammunition and a silencer, 09 knifes, and a handsaw, 2x2 handradios was also recovered from them. The suspended member tried to run away but was captured by a member of ECI (#EnviromentelCrimeInvestigations) of #SANParks. Another vehicle was identified and a rifle was found hidden inside. The member was suspended when also arrested for a #Rhino related incident. Investigation continues. ME @sanparksknp
#RhinoPoaching #EnvironmentalCrimes
nazarethvoicer#rhinopoaching Say no to kill rhino. #rhino

[Richprins]

Geskorste polisieman weer voor oor renosterstropery

4 hours ago


SKUKUZA – ’n Geskorste polisieman van Skukuza in die Nasionale Krugerwildtuin (NKW) is tans in die hof in Bosbokrand nadat hy Dinsdag vir die tweede keer in verband met beweerde renosterstropery vasgetrek is.

Volgens brig. Hangwane Mulaudzi, woordvoerder van die polisie se Valke, is die polisieman en drie ander verdagtes in Skukuza aangekeer terwyl hulle op pad was om renosters te gaan stroop.

Sy identiteit is nog nie bekendgemaak nie omdat die uitkoms van die hofsaak nog nie bekend is nie. Hy het bevestig dat die verdagtes gevang is nadat inligting van die polisie se misdaad intelligensie-eenheid ontvang is dat ‘n stroping vir Woensdag beplan was. Hierdie vooraf-inligting het die polisie in staat gestel om drie verdagtes te onderskep deur hulle in te wag en by hul voertuig aan te keer.

Die hoofverdagte het probeer om weg te hardloop, maar is deur ’n lid van die Environmental Crime Investigations-eenheid platgetrek. Die polisie het ‘n .458-jaggeweer, knaldemper, magasyn met 20 patrone, nege messe, kapmesse, ‘n handsaag en twee tweerigting radio’s in die voertuig gekry.

Die polisie se inligting het hulle na ‘n tweede verdagte voertuig gelei en dit is vanuit die wildtuin se helikopter ‘n ent vanaf Skukuza opgespoor. Die helikopter het geland en ‘n vierde verdagte is ten aanskou van ander wildtuingangers op dramatiese wyse gearresteer.

‘n Jaggeweer is na bewering ook in dié voertuig gevind en die verdagte is ook gearresteer vir die onwettige besit van ‘n vuurwapen en ammunisie.

http://lowvelder.co.za/321230/geskortst ... rstropery/

[Richprins]

Important stuff here is the two-way radios, the tipoff, the Hawks (Our SAPS special investigators) being called on, and that the chopper landed in front of tourists to catch vehicle 3.




Will get the name of the gentleman soon!

[Flutterby]

These pics were posted on FB by Clinton Sybesma.

[Alf]

Great action pictures

Was just waiting for chuck Norris to jump out of the helicopter

[RobertT]

What I do like about this is they obviously got a tip off that he was in the park and was in that vehicle.