AN ILLEGAL ivory dealer, who was arrested last year after being found in possession of two elephant tusks, but absconded before being tried, was on Friday slapped with an effective nine years in jail.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Edson Mwedzi (44) of Chief Zimunya in Mutare, pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared before Gokwe resident magistrate Shepherd Mjanja who convicted and sentenced him to 10 years. One year of the sentence was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The court heard that on September 4 2013 at around 8:10pm Francis Meya, a police officer based at Gokwe Police Station, was manning a roadblock with other officers when a Musani Bus was stopped.
The officers searched the bus and Meya saw a sack in between Mwedzi’s legs. He ordered him to open it and two elephant tasks weighing 5,61kg were found in it.
This led to his arrest, but he later disappeared until he was rearrested recently.
