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Three in NW court for possession of elephant tusks

───   07:55 Sat, 07 May 2016

Three in NW court for possession of elephant tusks | News Article
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Brits - Two of the three men arrested for alleged possession of an elephant tusk were granted bail in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Friday.


Leonard Samakande, 34, and Knowledge Nhidza, 31, both from Zimbabwe, were released on R2500 bail each. They were arrested along with Stanley Chirima, 30, on April 30 at Elandsrand in Brits, North West, by the police tactical response team and crime intelligence after police received a tip-off that one of them was seen in possession of an elephant tusk.

Police spotted a white Mercedes Benz with a North West registration number, stopped it, and searched it, and found four pieces of elephant tusk. The three men could not give an adequate explanation or account for the ivory and were arrested. The value of the ivory had yet to be determined.

Chirima did not apply for bail as the State intends to oppose his application because he is illegally in South Africa. The other two have valid passport and their bail application was not opposed.

In his application Sakamande said he was married and had a child in Harare, Zimbabwe, who depended on him for support. His continued incarceration would affect his family because there would be no one else to provide for them.

He told the court he had been in South Africa for a year and currently lived in Mothutlung, east of Brits, and had a permanent job.

Nhizda told the court he lived in Damonsville, also east of Brits, and would obey all bail conditions.

Magistrate Moses Maswanganyi said the State had not opposed bail for the two men.

“The State is satisfied that you will not abscond… bail is set at an amount of R2500 for each of you. You are ordered to hand over your passports to the investigating officer and you will not leave the country without the permission of the investigating officer,” he said.

The case was postponed to June 8 for further investigation.

ANA

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