PRETORIA – A Mozambican father and son – sharing the same name Alberto Ernesto Nharreluga – have been jailed for 14 years each in Mpumalanga for possession of rhino horn, corruption and possession of a shark fin.
“The Middelburg Regional Court sentenced the father aged 48 and his son, aged 27, to a total of 14 years imprisonment for National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act related charges on Friday,” said Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Captain Dineo Sekgotodi.
The Nharreluga duo were arrested in April last year, while they were travelling on the N4 in Nelspruit.
“They were stopped by the Middelburg Flying Squad members. Police searched their vehicle and recovered two rhino horns as well as shark fin,” Sekgotodi said.
She said the duo then offered police officers a bribe of R20 000.
“They were immediately arrested and they offered police officers R20 000 to turn a blind eye to criminal act,” Sekgotodi said.
“They were charged and the docket was assigned to the Middelburg based Hawks team for investigation. The accused were kept in custody throughout the trial.”
The Mpumalanga court sentenced the father and son to six years each for possession of rhino horns, five years for corruption and three years for possession of a shark fin.
IOL