A court in Eastern Equatoria sentenced a man to two years in prison and to pay a fine of 3,000 Pounds for poaching elephants at Kidepo Valley Game Reserve.
Dario Nyakore Lino, from Budi County of Eastern Equatoria, was arrested on March 3 by security operatives for leading the organized poaching of elephants for ivory trade, Radio Emmanuel reported.Security operatives also recovered two rifles, two elephant tasks, one buffalo skin and tail from the convict who confessed killing three elephants between 1995 and 1998.
Mr Nyakore admitted to the Court that he committed the crime.
He also confessed that he sold two elephant tasks to a Ugandan dealer at 15,000 Kenyan Shillings each, while two others were captured by game rangers in Uganda.
The Court ruled that the evidence brought by police investigators and the testimony of the accused were enough to prove him guilty.
Eastern Equatoria Director of Wildlife Conservation Charles Laku said Mr Nyakore was the first person to be jailed for poaching in the state.
He added that Mr Nyakore’s arrest and sentencing was a warning to other poachers that the law enforcement agents have the capacity to investigate and arrest people suspected of killing wild animals.