A South African court has sentenced a Democratic Republic of Congo national named Francis Kipampa to 18 years\u2019 imprisonment for his involvement in money laundering linked to illegal rhino trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the first time an individual has been successfully prosecuted for their role in the illegal wildlife trade linked to serious financial offenses,\u201d the international NGO Save the Rhino said in its statement.<\/p>\n
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said 51-year-old Kipampa was arrested in 2022 alongside 14 other co-accused. Two of them, Chikwa David Maluleke and Solly Ubisi, who were rangers at Kruger National Park, were charged with providing tactical information to rhino poaching syndicates in exchange for \u201csubstantial sums of money.\u201d The money was transferred into the bank accounts of their family members, who were among those arrested alongside Kipampa.<\/p>\n
The arrests were part of a multiyear investigation called Project Blood Orange involving various South African law enforcement agencies and the auditing firm KPMG South Africa. The latter used financial forensics to investigate the flow of money into the accounts of the accused. Save the Rino financially supported the investigation, the NGO said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProject Blood Orange showcases the power of financial forensic investigations in uncovering compelling evidence. It\u2019s a game-changer for tackling organised wildlife crime, and we hope similar approaches can be implemented in other jurisdictions,\u201d Cathy Dean, Save the Rhino grants lead, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 15, Kipampa pleaded guilty at the Middelburg Regional Court to all charges including conspiring to traffic rhino horns, money laundering, and the violation of local immigration laws.<\/p>\n
A representative for Save the Rhino told Mongabay it\u2019s unclear what Kipampa\u2019s exact role is in the poaching syndicate without the release of his testimony, but his case was heard first due to his acceptance of the plea deal. As part of the deal, eight of Kipampa\u2019s 18-year sentence is suspended on condition that he doesn\u2019t commit the same crimes in the next five years.<\/p>\n
The court also ordered the confiscation of assets worth 5 million rand (about $268,000).<\/p>\n
Kipampa\u2019s co-accused, who were previously released on bail, were supposed to go on trial on Jan. 20, but the trial date has been postponed, the Save the Rhino representative told Mongabay.<\/p>\n
Minister Dion George of South Africa\u2019s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, said in a statement that the sentencing is indicative of the country\u2019s \u201crenewed zero-tolerance stance on all forms of poaching.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added he was \u201cdisheartened\u201d that Kipampa had worked with wildlife rangers.<\/p>\n
N.J. Gerber, a police general who heads the police\u2019s elite Hawks unit in Mpumalanga province, where part of Kruger park lies, said in a statement that his team \u201cwill go after the proceeds generated through illegal activities with all the means at our disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n