Bail for ‘rhino syndicate’

TRAFFICKING: SIX, INCLUDING CONSERVATIONIST, IN R250M HORN CASE

- Chulumanco Mahamba

Six people, including the former owner of a rhino conservation organisation, appeared in court concerning a R250 million international rhino horn trafficking syndicate and were granted bail.

The Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday granted bail to the six suspects facing 55 charges, including multiple counts of racketeering, fraud, theft, money laundering, and contraventions of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (Nemba) and the Riotous Assemblies Act.

The accused are former founder and owner of the Platinum Rhino Conservation Enterprise John Frederick Hume, 83; transport maintenance manager Clive John Melville, 63; practising attorney Izak Hermanus du Toit, 50; director of a non-profit organisation Elizabeth Catharina van Niekerk, 58; insurance broker and part-time farmer Mattheus Hendrikus Poggenpoel, 37; and game reserve manager Johannes Abraham Hennop, 52.

The court set Hume's bail at R100 000. Melville and Van Niekerk each received bail of R10 000, while Du Toit, Poggenpoel and Hennop were each granted R2 000 bail.