Master hunting guide released on bail again
Master hunting guide Brian Roodt (34) is once again a free man after his arrest following a court appearance on seperate wildlife crime charges on 29 October in Windhoek.
He appeared on Wednesday at the Outjo Magistrate's Court on yet another charge of illegal hunting and was released on bail of N$8 000.
Another suspect in the case, a well-known farmer from the Outjo district, was not required to appear in court with him.
However, he has not yet been arrested, as he is currently in a private hospital in Windhoek where he is scheduled to undergo heart surgery. The suspect will need to recover after his surgery before he can appear in court.
According to the charge sheet, the men are accused of illegally hunting an impala, mountain zebra, plains zebra, Damara dik-dik, waterbuck, steenbok, red hartebeest, gemsbok, springbok, kudu, blesbok and caracal on the farmer's farm.
Roodt and his client, according to the Namibian police's Joint Protected Resources Unit and the environment ministry, did have hunting permits, but not for the specific farm on which the hunts allegedly occurred.
First arrest
The hunting guide, who was also a finalist in the Mr Supranational 2023 competition, was first arrested on 24 December last year, subsequently making his first appearance in the district court in Dordabis.
He spent Christmas behind bars, and on 27 December, he appeared in court on additional charges. Roodt was released on bail of N$3 000 on 28 December.
He is facing several wildlife crime charges, including seven counts in the Dordabis district. These charges are related to the failure to comply with conservation regulations.
They include the illegal hunting of protected wildlife (a leopard), illegal hunting at night and with dogs, as well as the illegal possession of a leopard skin and money laundering.
Roodt allegedly failed to provide an annual hunting report detailing where, when and which species of wildlife he hunted, as well as the trophy numbers and the names and nationalities of his clients.
In this regard, Roodt is also alleged to have provided incorrect information about a hippo hunt with a Hungarian client, which he allegedly did not report.
Subsequently, he appeared on 6 August in the special wildlife crime court in Katutura in Windhoek and the case was postponed until 29 October in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court for plea and trial purposes.
Roodt's trial was then postponed to 11 June 2025 because his attorney, Gilroy Kasper, was unavailable. However, Roodt was re-arrested on that same day in connection with the alleged offence in the Outjo district, where he remained in custody until Wednesday.
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He appeared on Wednesday at the Outjo Magistrate's Court on yet another charge of illegal hunting and was released on bail of N$8 000.
Another suspect in the case, a well-known farmer from the Outjo district, was not required to appear in court with him.
However, he has not yet been arrested, as he is currently in a private hospital in Windhoek where he is scheduled to undergo heart surgery. The suspect will need to recover after his surgery before he can appear in court.
According to the charge sheet, the men are accused of illegally hunting an impala, mountain zebra, plains zebra, Damara dik-dik, waterbuck, steenbok, red hartebeest, gemsbok, springbok, kudu, blesbok and caracal on the farmer's farm.
Roodt and his client, according to the Namibian police's Joint Protected Resources Unit and the environment ministry, did have hunting permits, but not for the specific farm on which the hunts allegedly occurred.
First arrest
The hunting guide, who was also a finalist in the Mr Supranational 2023 competition, was first arrested on 24 December last year, subsequently making his first appearance in the district court in Dordabis.
He spent Christmas behind bars, and on 27 December, he appeared in court on additional charges. Roodt was released on bail of N$3 000 on 28 December.
He is facing several wildlife crime charges, including seven counts in the Dordabis district. These charges are related to the failure to comply with conservation regulations.
They include the illegal hunting of protected wildlife (a leopard), illegal hunting at night and with dogs, as well as the illegal possession of a leopard skin and money laundering.
Roodt allegedly failed to provide an annual hunting report detailing where, when and which species of wildlife he hunted, as well as the trophy numbers and the names and nationalities of his clients.
In this regard, Roodt is also alleged to have provided incorrect information about a hippo hunt with a Hungarian client, which he allegedly did not report.
Subsequently, he appeared on 6 August in the special wildlife crime court in Katutura in Windhoek and the case was postponed until 29 October in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court for plea and trial purposes.
Roodt's trial was then postponed to 11 June 2025 because his attorney, Gilroy Kasper, was unavailable. However, Roodt was re-arrested on that same day in connection with the alleged offence in the Outjo district, where he remained in custody until Wednesday.
[email protected]
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