RUNDU – The Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday denied bail to three Namibian Defence Force soldiers for alleged poaching in the Mangetti National Park in the Kavango West region.

The trio were arrested on Friday in that park for allegedly poaching a kudu, eland and a wildebeest after being nabbed with bags full of dried meat by the ministry of environment’s park officials.

After the arrest, the environment ministry’s spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the meat was valued at N$22 450, and the soldiers are suspected to have used a service rifle in killing the protected wild animals. He said they dried or made biltong from the animals they allegedly poached.

The accused persons, who are all male, are aged 28, 37 and 40. They were all members of the NDF, deployed in the Mangetti National Park to fight poaching.

They are David Aishe, Richard Kasoma and Paulus lipinge, and made their first appearance before Rundu magistrate Sonia Samupofu, who remanded them in custody.

Their case was postponed to 7 May for formal bail applications.

-jmuyamba@nepc.com.na