The state’s star witness says he was ‘intimidated’ and has refused to testify.
The star witness in South Africa’s high-profile rhino horn syndicate case involving George Fletcher and Gert Saaiman has reportedly told prosecutors he is no longer willing to testify. Gideon van Deventer said that two private investigators have been visiting him in prison, offering him money not to testify – and threatening to harm his children if he does.
As part of a plea bargain, van Deventer is currently serving an eight-year sentence after being convicted for his involvement with the rhino horn syndicate, which includes well-known safari operators George Fletcher of Sandhurst Safaris and Gert Saaiman of Saaiman Hunting Safaris.
Bribes and threats
In addition, a former investigating officer on the case submitted a statement to the court, saying that the same two private investigators also offered him a bribe to change his testimony. The officer responded by bringing charges against the two investigators.
According to Eyewitness News, van Deventer’s statement was read aloud in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday.
Van Deventer said two private investigators have been visiting him in prison. He said they offered him money not to testify and have threatened to hurt his ex-wife and his children.
When this statement was read to the court, the three men on trial, George Fletcher, Gerhardus Saaiman and Gideon’s own brother, Frans van Deventer, slumped in the dock, looking visibly uncomfortable.
A former investigating officer in the case also submitted a statement to the court, saying the same two private investigators also visited him. They offered him money to change his testimony. He, in turn, lay charged against them.
Two other members of the syndicate, Pieter Swart and Nicholaas van Deventer, are expected to testify against Fletcher, Saaiman, and the third van Deventer brother.
Slaughtering rhinos, dealing in illegal rhino horn
The rhino horn syndicate is believed to be responsible for slaughtering at least 19 rhinos, including three calves.
Eighteen died within close proximity to where they were shot and one escaped wounded. Of the total, 16 were adults and three were calves, killed because they kept milling around their dead mothers. Eight of the rhinos were shot in the southern reaches of the Kruger National Park, two in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi and the rest on private game farms owned by people known to the syndicate members.
Multiple charges have been brought against the alleged Fletcher-Saaiman syndicate, including racketeering, money laundering, various counts of theft, malicious damage to property and contraventions of the various provincial Conservation Acts and the Aviation Act.
It is alleged that the accused committed these offences as members of a group consisting of hunters, a pilot, middlemen (agents) and buyers, who illegally hunted rhinos and traded in the horns stolen from the rhino carcasses. The Aerostar was used to locate the rhinos in various National Parks around the country. It was also used to transport poachers to different national parks where the rhinos were spotted. The rhinos would be shot and dehorned.
Earlier this year, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) was granted authority to seize over R40 million in properties belonging to the suspects, including a helicopter and small airplane.
Yesterday, Fletcher and Saaiman appeared briefly in the North Gauteng High Court briefly with alleged syndicate members Frans van Deventer and Kumaran Moodaly. However, the charges against Moodaly were apparently withdrawn.
Illegal rhino horn trade is ‘booming’ business
Rhino poaching has returned to South Africa with a vengeance and the illegal rhino horn business is booming. The killing has reached a 16-year high, with more than 600 rhinos slaughtered since 2005.
Helicopters, tranquilizer darts, and chainsaws are the tools of the trade for well-funded rhino horn syndicates. Rhinos are darted from the helicopter and then the horn is removed with a chainsaw, cutting into the rhino’s skull, often while the rhino is still alive. The rhino is then left to die a slow and painful death.
Tom Millken of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC points out that technology has made it easy for a rhino horn to enter the illegal market quickly.
There are 100 million cellphones in Africa. Everyone is connected now. A guy can make a call from a game reserve and say ‘I’ve got the horn, come pick me up’.
Then a car is (organised) to pick him up and in a day or two he can be on a flight out of the country. This was not happening years ago.
Illegal rhino horn is still in high demand for traditional medicines in China and Vietnam, despite the fact that rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and found to be of no medicinal value.
Most rhino horn leaving southern Africa is destined for China and Vietnam, according to the latest research by TRAFFIC.
Source: Eyewitness News
Image: istock.com
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