*Translated from the French by an automated online translation service, so please excuse the roughness. See link for original.* Presumed wildlife offenders in front of their judges this week in Ouesso, Owando, and Dolisie (Republic of the Congo) Vox Congo February 12, 2018 See link <http://www.vox.cg/presumes-delinquants-fauniques-devant-leurs-juges-cette-semaine-a-ouesso-a-owando-a-dolisie/> for photo. Four hearings on wildlife crime are scheduled this week, one at the Ouesso High Court and three others in the appeal courts of Owando, Dolisie and Pointe Noire. In Ouesso, this is the first appearance on February 15, 2018, in the district court of this city, of six alleged ivory traffickers namely: Joshua Loukahou Tsimba, son Baimbi aka Mozalisi, Mureille Makaya, Gideon Mayounga, Mohamed Karibou Mboumbouo and Asco Elenga, arrested on January 29th in the act of illegal possession and circulation, an attempt to commercialize 15 ivory tusks representing eight massacred elephants. They would find the ivories after killing the elephants with the help of the PMAK, in the forests of the department of Sangha, in complicity with the indigenous peoples. Another hearing opens on February 14 before the Owando Court of Appeal, that of Daniel Konga, Jacques Konga and Léandre Ngassaky, arrested on September 14, 2017, in the act of detention, illegal circulation and attempted marketing of six tusks of ivory. One of these three defendants is a merchant who travels throughout the country to search for and buy ivory from poachers; ivories that the latter has the habit of selling to his customers. The other two (father and son) are suppliers of these products. At the level of the Court of Appeal of Pointe-Noire, four alleged traffickers of two skins of panther and tails of elephant will be heard again by the judges this February 15, 2018. Etienne Missamou Diamesso, Christian Mvouama Ngouedi, Elisabeth Massoueme and Albert Mbika were arrested, in June 2016, in the act of illegal possession and marketing trophies of fully protected animal species. At the Court of Appeal of Dolisie, four defendants will appear again this February 15, 2018. They are: Alain Baboutila Nguimbi, Kevin Mboumba, Bell Charbel Mavoungou, Guy Losy Mbatchy and Jean Nell Tchibinda, questioned December 18, 2015 in Dolisie, for detention, illegal circulation and attempted marketing of six ivory tusks weighing a total of 38 kg. The arrests of these alleged wildlife offenders are the work of the officers of the Departmental Directorate of Water and Forests and the National Gendarmerie thanks to information and support from the PALF (Wildlife Law Enforcement Support Project). These defendants are liable for to up to five years' imprisonment under the laws regulating this sector. Article 27 of Law 37/2008 of 28 November 2008 on fauna and protected areas stipulates: "import; export; the possession and transit through the national territory of fully protected species; as well as their trophies are strictly forbidden; except special derogation of the water and forest administration; for the purposes of scientific research". A firm and exemplary justice is eagerly awaited. http://www.vox.cg/presumes-delinquants-fauniques-devant-leurs-juges-cette-semaine-a-ouesso-a-owando-a-dolisie/ ------------------------------------- This news service is provided by Save the Elephants. For further information on elephants please see Save the Elephants' web site at http://www.savetheelephants.org ------------------------------------- Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any news story. In addition, we do not endorse any of the views expressed therein. We simply try to represent fairly what is in the media on elephants. If a reader finds inaccuracies in an article, we are happy to circulate corrections, if these can be verified. -------------- *Recipients: You can manage your own subscriptions, including unsubscribing, subscribing, and changing your email address, all by clicking on the appropriate listserv link below. Also, if you feel you are receiving too many emails, you can sign up for the 'Daily Digest' option. Note that archived news stories are linked to at the top of each page.* African Elephant News: http://elephantnews.org/mailman/listinfo/african-elephant_elephantnews.org Asian Elephant News: http://elephantnews.org/mailman/listinfo/asian-elephant_elephantnews.org All Scientific Papers: http://elephantnews.org/mailman/listinfo/allpapers_elephantnews.org