The heavy sentences dished out to a preacher who admitted he had been involved in the poaching of two rhinoceroses in the Gobabis district in May 2020 have been reduced in an appeal judgement delivered in the Windhoek High Court.
In the appeal judgement, delivered on Friday, judges Herman January and Naomi Shivute found that while the sentences imposed on preacher Jackson Babi (33) in the Gobabis Regional Court in September last year were appropriate, the cumulative effect of the sentences was “harsh and shocking”.
“These crimes are indeed serious and prevalent. We agree with the magistrate that they deserve heavy and deterrent sentences,” January remarked in the appeal judgement.
He continued, though, that the cumulative effect of the sentences needed to be lightened.
Babi, who made a living as a preacher, motivational speaker and singer before his arrest in May 2020, was sentenced to an effective period of 10 years’ imprisonment and also to fines totalling N$370 000 or further prison terms totalling 17 years after he admitted guilt on 11 charges in the Gobabis Regional Court.
He pleaded guilty on two counts of illegally hunting specially protected game, two charges of theft, charges of illegally supplying a firearm and ammunition to persons, two counts of money laundering, and charges of racketeering, possession of rhino horns and bribery.
All of the charges were linked to the poaching of a white rhino cow and a white rhino calf at a farm in the Gobabis district in May 2020.
Babi admitted that he provided the rifle and ammunition used to kill the two animals, and that he later had two rhino horns in his possession in Windhoek, was involved in an attempt to sell two rhino horns at Otjiwarongo, and offered a bribe of N$13 000 to a police officer after his arrest in an attempt to get himself released on bail.
The two judges dismissed an appeal by Babi against his convictions, finding that the charges on which he was found guilty did not amount to a duplication of convictions.
The judges altered the sentences imposed on Babi on six of the charges, leaving him with an effective sentence of two years’ imprisonment and also fines totalling N$230 000, or a further 15 years in prison if the fines are not paid.
The sentences include a two-year prison term for the theft of the horns of the two poached rhinos, and an effective fine of N$60 000 or three years’ imprisonment on two charges of hunting specially protected game.
Babi was initially sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and fines totalling N$200 000, or four years’ imprisonment if those fines were not paid, on the two charges of poaching rhinos.
Defence lawyer Charliano Scheepers represented Babi in the appeal.
The state was represented by Johannes Kalipi.
