BY KUSEKWA KUSEKWA
Mbulu District resident, Ndulu Mela, is to remain behind bars for 20 years for unlawful possession of one serval cat skin, equivalent to one killed serval cat, which is a government trophy, valued at Sh 801,069 (dollars 300).
That follows a decision of the High Court at Manyara that dismissed the appeal he had lodged to oppose the findings and conviction by the District Court of Mbulu.
“I therefore find the appeal devoid of merit and accordingly, dismiss it. The conviction entered against the appellant is hereby upheld and the sentence is sustained,” ruled Judge Devotha Kamuzora in a judgement delivered recently. She was satisfied, she added, that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
During the hearing of the appeal, Mela had submitted that the trial magistrate erred in law and in fact by convicting and sentencing him based on the testimony of the witnesses who had interest to serve.
He had also submitted that the trial court erred in law and fact by convicting and sentencing him based on testimony that was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.
In the judgement, the judge said that the court was satisfied that the prosecution proved that the appellant’s house was searched, whereupon the government trophy was found and he had no permit authorising him to possess it.
“The appellant’s defence that he was merely arrested while grazing cattle is not only unsupported by the persons whom he alleged were with him on the material date,” the judge said.
It was alleged that on April 1, 2025, at Endagulda Village, within Mbulu District in Manyara Region, the appellant’s house was searched and he was found to be in possession of one serval cat skin, without a permit from the Director of Wildlife.
