Eight Men Fined US$500 for Killing Protected Elephant in Bopolu

Borpolu, Liberia : Eight men have been jointly fined US$500 for killing a protected elephant in Sando Village, Bopolu County.

The suspects, who admitted to the crime, were identified as Jonathan C. Francis, Sekou Kanneh, Mamadee Cetra, Cyrus Plaker, Eric Kopolo, Joseph Kollie, Francis Kortu, and Mamadee Kanneh.

The ruling was handed down by the Bopolu City Magisterial Court, presided over by Judge J. Mulbah Harriss. The court ordered the men to pay the fine into the Judicial Bank Account within 48 hours or remain in jail.

Judge Harriss also instructed the defendants to turn over the elephant’s ivory tusks to the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).

According to the court, the offense violates Liberia’s National Forest Reform Law of 2006 and the National Wildlife and Protected Areas Management Law, which prohibit the killing of protected wildlife species.

The court warned that such acts threaten Liberia’s biodiversity and will continue to attract legal consequences.