Africa-Press – Uganda. More than 566 cases of poaching wildlife animals have been documented in the last six months, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said.
Ms Irene Nakimbugwe, the deputy spokesperson of the DPP’s office, revealed that of the 566 cases, they have secured 242 convictions and 55 acquittals while three have been dismissed.
She said this during the launch of guidelines on investigation and prosecution of wildlife crimes in the country in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Entebbe yesterday.
She said majority of the cases had delayed to be prosecuted by their office due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
“We can’t underscore the need for our investigations and prosecutions to focus on the organised criminal syndicates that are funding and driving illegal wildlife trade. They fund the killings of our wildlife and finance cross border trafficking of wildlife products,” she said.
Most common crimes
The DPP official named some of the common wildlife crimes as poaching and trafficking of wild animals and their body parts to other countries and within Uganda.
She added that most of the crimes are committed in and near the national game parks throughout the country.
To that effect, Ms Nakimbugwe said they want to work with other countries to stop this illegal cross border trade.
“We want to work on our inter country relations and state to state through a memorandum of understanding. This is business for them and for as long as we don’t make it punitive and unprofitable to engage in illegal wildlife trade, they will continue,” she said.
She added: “We need to catch up with them and hit them where it hurts most by recovering the proceeds acquired from this crime and this is going to be our main focus.”
The guidelines launched yesterday will provide a road map for prosecutors and investigators and other key stakeholders on how to implement the recently enacted Uganda Wildlife Act, 2020, with emphasis on drafting charges and adhering to prosecutorial operating standards.
The minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col (Rtd) Tom Butime, who was represented by the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Mr James Musinguzi, said tourism should be cherished in Uganda.
He said because prior to Covid-19, it was employing about seven percent of Uganda’s total labour force and was contributing nine percent of our GDP, among others.
The minister in his speech said government has adopted a range of operational initiatives and strengthened legislation to fight poaching.
This, he said, is reflected in the revised Uganda Wildlife Act of 2019, which he said prescribes very punitive penalties for persons convicted for poaching and illegal possession of wildlife and its products.
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