Three charged with having Sh1.6m elephant tusks

Elephant tusks. A Nakuru court has charged three suspected poachers with being in possession of elephant tusks worth Sh1.6 million. PHOTO FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The three are alleged to have transported the trophies without a permit from the Director General of KWS on March 5.
  • They faced a second count of dealing in the wildlife trophies without permit from the KWS director general. 
  • Through their lawyer John Ochang, the suspects pleaded with the court for lenient bond terms.

Three suspected poachers have been charged with being in possession of elephant tusks worth Sh1.6 million.

Appearing before Nakuru Chief Magistrate Josephat Kalo, the suspects James Yegon, Amos Lumet and Jacob Rono were jointly charged with being in possession of four pieces of elephant tusks weighing eight kilograms at a Nakuru hotel.

The three are alleged to have transported the trophies without a permit from the Director General of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on March 5, 2019.

BOND

They faced a second count of dealing in the wildlife trophies without permit from the KWS director general. The suspects however, denied the charges.

Through their lawyer John Ochang, the suspects pleaded with the court for lenient bond terms.

Mr Ochang further made an application for orders to release the motor vehicle that had been impounded by the police.

The court directed that the suspects be released on Sh2 million bond each with surety of similar amounts or an alternative cash bail of Sh1 million.

The case will be mentioned on March 20.