The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu has convicted a Congolese national after finding him guilty of unlawful possession of protected species.
The convict is Bobs Mbaya Kabongo who was convicted on Wednesday after the Uganda Wild Life Authority Prosecutors led by Kefa Ndeke read to him the facts of the case as to how he committed the crime, which he accepted to be true.
The Court heard that on April 14th 2022 in Kibaya village, Bunagana Town Council, Kisoro District, Mbaya imported 122 African Grey Parrots from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo through Bunagana Border into Uganda without a valid permit.
The prosecution told the Court that the parrots were packed in two wooden boxes and that Mbaya did not have a valid life user right to be in possession of the parrots in question.
UWA received information that there was someone who was dealing in the illegal trade of protected species and as such, they got someone who trapped him and Mbaya was caught red-handed.
Ndeke added that the convict was arrested and detained first in Kisoro before being transferred to Kampala for trial. However, upon reaching Kampala, five parrots were found dead.
Mbaya has accepted these facts as correct and was subsequently found guilty as charged.
The Prosecutors informed Court that the maximum sentence for unlawful possession of protected species is life imprisonment but since Mbaya has not wasted the court's time, he should only be handed a sixteen-year jail term.
Ndeke added that he would also have paid a fine of 200 million shillings.
However, Mbaya through his lawyers led by Sarah Awero asked Court to be lenient arguing that he is a first time offender and a young man aged 33, and he, therefore, has chance of going back to the community and reform.
The magistrate adjourned the case to May 12th, 2022 for sentencing.
