CI-NEWS

Banned Gendarme Colonel to appear in Court.

2019-07-16

No: 436

Banned Gendarme Colonel to appear in Court.

A gendarmerie colonel who was recently banned by the State Department from entering the US is expected in court on August 6, 2019 to answer to charges related to the seizure in Djoum of 216 ivory tusks in December 2017.

The case was initiated following an operation that was carried out in Djoum by wildlife officials of the Dja Biosphere Reserve who found 216 ivory tusks and 81 elephant tails in a military car belonging to Colonel Ango Ango.

According to a source close to the matter that requested for anonymity, following prior investigations, when a team of wildlife law enforcement officials in the town got reliable information on the movement of a huge stock of ivory, they set up inspecting vehicles plying the Djoum – Sangmelima highway.

During the checks, they spotted a suspicious car late in the night and signaled to the driver to stop but he disobeyed and instead launched into speed while the wildlife officials chased and lost the car. They, nevertheless, would reset and trace the car that would was hidden inside a bush at a locality called Minko’o some 20km from Djoum. On inspecting the car, they found that it was a gendarmerie vehicle transporting the ivory.

The colonel was summoned to court in connection with the matter on two occasions but he failed to appear in any of the court sessions. On July 3, 2018, the Djoum Court of First Instance f ound Mah MvomoJean Paul and Pekassa Adamu guilty, sentenced them to an imprisonment term of 6 months and ordered that they pay a fine of over 1.8 million FCFA and damages amounting to 66 million FCFA on charges of unlawful circulation and trafficking of parts of protected wildlife species.

Some conservation groups including The Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA) assisted wildlife officials in the legal follow-up of the matter against those accused including the colonel who is still facing charges in court. The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife has been, in recent times, intensifying the fight against wildlife crimes and has shown strong attention and support in the prosecution process. The matter that solicited intense outcry attracted attention from international circles including diplomatic missions based in the country.

On June 9, 2019, the US Statement Department made public a decision to ban the high ranking military official, entry into the county. According to a release from the US State Department, the action sends a strong signal that the United States is committed to fighting corruption and combatting the transnational crime of wildlife trafficking to preserve world’s iconic species. It should be noted that the US government lends considerable financial support to conservation bodies in the country to help check the rapid decline of wildlife resources. The assistance equally aims at ensuring that law enforcement is effective to stopping the illegal trade in protected species.

The 1994 wildlife law stipulates that anyone found in possession of a part of a protected wildlife species is considered to have killed the animal and is therefore liable to a maximum prison sentence of 3 years and or a maximum fine of 10 million FCFA but the law further states that if the arrested person is a law enforcement official then the punishment is doubled.

When news of the ban broke out, several conservation groups including LAGA expressed satisfaction and considered this a significant first step in tackling impunity in the sector in general and in the Djoum area in particular, that is well known for the its ivory trafficking. They say trafficking in the area is complex and suspect, it involves several strata of people including some officials working in the area.

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Banned Gendarme Colonel to appear in Court.