Nine years for pangolin possession

Lesleigh Chidawanyika, Court Reporter

A Harare magistrate yesterday sentenced a 29-year-old man to nine years in jail after he was found in possession of a pangolin.

Peter Murizingise had pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo but was convicted after a full trial.

Initially Murizingise was sentenced to 11 years behind bars before two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

The State proved that in October 2019, police detectives from CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit Harare received information that there were two men and one female at Newlands Shopping Centre who were looking for potential buyers of a pangolin.

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The detective reacted to the information and went to Newlands Shopping Centre where they started making surveillance.

The detectives managed to identify Murizingise and his accomplices who were sentenced last week, walking together towards TM Supermarket.

The court heard that using the description supplied by the informer, the detectives pounced on them and identified themselves as police officers by producing police identity cards.

They searched the black satchel which was being held by the accused one in his right hand and recovered a live pangolin.

They asked for a permit or licence authorising them to possess the pangolin and they failed to produce one leading to their arrest.

HMETRO