NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) announced on Wednesday that eight men have been taken into custody and collectively fined US $500 for the illegal killing of a protected elephant in Sando Village, Bopolu County.
The case, heard before the Bopolu City Magisterial Court, underscores Liberia’s renewed commitment to enforcing wildlife and forest protection laws.
According to court records, the defendants are Jonathan C. Francis, Sekou Kanneh, Mamadee Cetra, Cyrus Plaker, Eric Kopolo, Joseph Kollie, Francis Kortu, and Mamadee Kanneh.
By: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr –rufusbrooks091@gmail.com
During preliminary investigations, the suspects admitted to the poaching incident and were promptly forwarded to the Magisterial Court.
The men were charged with violations of the National Forest Reform Law of 2006, specifically Chapter Six, Section 6.3.2(a), and breaches of the National Wildlife and Protected Areas Management Law, Chapter Nine, Sections 9.12(b)(i) and 9.12(d)(i).
Presiding Judge Mulbah Harris sentenced the defendants to a joint fine of US $500, payable to the judicial bank account within 48 hours. He warned that failure to pay would result in continued detention.
“The law is clear: protected wildlife, especially elephants, are national treasures. Any infringement will be met with swift and decisive action,” Judge Harris said.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered the immediate surrender of the elephant’s ivory tusk to the Forestry Development Authority for preservation and as evidence in the case.
