Fisheries officials among suspects in poaching case

THE 17 people, among them nine officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, facing charges related to corruption and abalone poaching have been remanded in custody after they appeared in the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The department officials allegedly colluded with abalone poachers by illegally selling back seized abalone and escorting illegal abalone shipment, according to the Hawks.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said the accused face seven charges, which emanate from 40 incidents between September 12 and November 20, 2016.

The accused face charges of corruption, racketeering, theft, defeating the ends of justice, loading, selling, receiving or possession of fish in contravention of the marine act and transport or possession of abalone not in a whole state.

“The first nine accused are inspectors employed by the department… who were working with the accused from (September) 10 until (November) 17. The State, represented by advocates Blaine Lazarus and Nico Breyl, asked the court to postpone the matter for the next seven days, as it intended to join the case of all accused persons involved in this poaching case,” Ntabazalila said.

He said one of the accused was arrested in Paarl and will appear on Monday. He will be joined by the accused in Hermanus, said Ntabazalila. Hawks spokesperson Philani Nkwalase said the suspects were arrested by a team led by the Hawks with the Tactical Response Team, Task Force, the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the department. “These charges are stemming from the alleged abalone syndicate that operated in Overberg areas,” Nkwalase said.