TWO men from Harare appeared last week before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi for contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act after being arrested for possessing a pangolin carcass.
Elisha Mafuta (31) and Emmanuel Kandikore (32) were remanded in custody to June 3 for routine appearance and were advised to approach the High Court for bail.
Prosecutor Thomas Chanakira alleged that on May 16 this year, detectives from the CID Minerals Flora and Fauna in Harare received information that the duo was in possession of a pangolin in the Avenues area.
Mafuta and Kandikore were allegedly looking for potential buyers.
One of the detectives contacted Mafuta purporting to be a buyer and Mafuta and Kandikore agreed to meet the detectives at Pennywise shopping centre in Highlands. It is further alleged that detectives went to the said meeting place where Mafuta joined them in their vehicle to discuss the price of the pangolin.
When the price was agreed, Mafuta went to collect the pangolin and returned with Kandikore carrying the pangolin in a bag. The two were arrested when they entered the detectives’ vehicle.
The detectives searched the bag and recovered a pangolin carcass wrapped with a black plastic and a white sack placed inside a blue bag. The two failed to produce any document authorising them to possess the pangolin, leading to their arrest.
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