The Chief magistrate at Kasese has set 23rd, November 2022 as judgment day for a couple accused of possessing wild meat from Queen Elizabeth national park in Kasese district.
Court presided over by the Kasese Chief Magistrate, Her Worship Betty Ajok heard that while at Kasenyi landing site in Lake Katwe subcounty, Mr. Justus Bagumisa and his wife Ms Mbambu Bagumisa were on 27th July 2022 caught with smoked Hippopotamus meat.
Mr. and Mrs. Bagumisa Mbambu took plea of guilty and said they only took a small piece of wild meat.
The Defense Lawyer, Mr. Counsel Luke Kanyonyi told court that the accused only picked meat from a dead Hippo as they fetched firewood, thus, smoking it for their safety they did not know what killed the wild beast.
Counsel Kanyonyi also asked court to give a lesser sentence to his clients since they are of advanced age, first offenders and have not wasted much of court`s time.
Earlier, the Resident State Attorney for Kasese, Counsel Godfrey Oundo reminded court that maximum sentence for a poacher is life imprisonment and that such to the accused would turn them into an example to the community. END.