Lombaard brothers charged with illegal capture of game
Formal bail application today
Five cellphones, two game trailers, one truck and one bakkie was seized during the brothers' arrest.
Two brothers will appear in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court today for their formal bail application on charges of illegally capturing and transporting game to the value of N$817 000.
Johan (57) and Kobus Lombaard (54) – who founded Golden Game, a wildlife farming, capturing and export business – stand accused of illegally transporting game or game meat under the Nature Conservation Ordinance and selling and purchasing game without a permit.
They also face charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for disguising the nature and description of an offence, unlawful origin of property, assisting one another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities and for the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Another charge under the Nature Conservation Oridinance deals with using a motor vehicle and an aircraft when hunting and capturing game without a permit.
Illegal capture
It is alleged that on 30 August at around 19:00 at Farm Reitz in the Leonardville area, the suspects illegally captured 28 blue and nine black wildebeest with vehicles with the intent to sell the game.
They then apparently drove the animals to Mariental, where members of the Namibian Police’s special field force inspected the vehicle as part of a sting operation.
Four suspects were arrested and charged, and appeared in the Aranos Magistrate’s Court on 1 September, where they were all granted bail.
However, the following day, three of the suspects were arrested again and were ordered to appear in Leonardville on 5 September.
They are brothers Johan and Kobus, and 49-year-old Rudie Kotze.
Five cellphones, two game trailers, one truck and one bakkie was seized at the time.
Investigation
About 10 months ago, Namibian Sun reported that the environment ministry was investigating Johan after he allegedly transported two white rhinos without the necessary paperwork.
The investigation was launched after he was involved in a car accident while transporting a rhino cow and its calf.
The ministry’s control warden for the Hardap Region, Joseph Tashiya, said this case is still on the court roll and has been postponed until 16 January 2024.
The accident occurred about 50 kilometres from Rehoboth.
It is understood that two Land Cruisers with trailers were carrying the rhino cow and calf. One of the drivers lost control of their vehicle and it rolled, but neither of the rhinos were injured.
Permit woes
In 2017, Namibian Sun reported that Johan did not have a permit to transport elephants, which had been captured at a farm in the Grootfontein area, and that his farm had not been approved by the environment ministry for elephants to be kept there.
Namibian Sun contacted Johan for a response, but calls to his phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Golden Game owns the Robinson R-44 light helicopter which recently crashed in Swakopmund during a test flight. The accident claimed the lives of Jacques Jacobs and Dirk von Weidts. An investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
Johan (57) and Kobus Lombaard (54) – who founded Golden Game, a wildlife farming, capturing and export business – stand accused of illegally transporting game or game meat under the Nature Conservation Ordinance and selling and purchasing game without a permit.
They also face charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for disguising the nature and description of an offence, unlawful origin of property, assisting one another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities and for the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Another charge under the Nature Conservation Oridinance deals with using a motor vehicle and an aircraft when hunting and capturing game without a permit.
Illegal capture
It is alleged that on 30 August at around 19:00 at Farm Reitz in the Leonardville area, the suspects illegally captured 28 blue and nine black wildebeest with vehicles with the intent to sell the game.
They then apparently drove the animals to Mariental, where members of the Namibian Police’s special field force inspected the vehicle as part of a sting operation.
Four suspects were arrested and charged, and appeared in the Aranos Magistrate’s Court on 1 September, where they were all granted bail.
However, the following day, three of the suspects were arrested again and were ordered to appear in Leonardville on 5 September.
They are brothers Johan and Kobus, and 49-year-old Rudie Kotze.
Five cellphones, two game trailers, one truck and one bakkie was seized at the time.
Investigation
About 10 months ago, Namibian Sun reported that the environment ministry was investigating Johan after he allegedly transported two white rhinos without the necessary paperwork.
The investigation was launched after he was involved in a car accident while transporting a rhino cow and its calf.
The ministry’s control warden for the Hardap Region, Joseph Tashiya, said this case is still on the court roll and has been postponed until 16 January 2024.
The accident occurred about 50 kilometres from Rehoboth.
It is understood that two Land Cruisers with trailers were carrying the rhino cow and calf. One of the drivers lost control of their vehicle and it rolled, but neither of the rhinos were injured.
Permit woes
In 2017, Namibian Sun reported that Johan did not have a permit to transport elephants, which had been captured at a farm in the Grootfontein area, and that his farm had not been approved by the environment ministry for elephants to be kept there.
Namibian Sun contacted Johan for a response, but calls to his phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Golden Game owns the Robinson R-44 light helicopter which recently crashed in Swakopmund during a test flight. The accident claimed the lives of Jacques Jacobs and Dirk von Weidts. An investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
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