Monrovia — A joint team comprising the Liberia National Police (LNP), Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Liberia Revenue Customs, and international partners has apprehended 85-year-old Ghanaian national Kofi Budi on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
FDA rangers intercepted Budi, leading to his arrest along with twenty-six (26) assorted parrots. He has been charged with possession of live animals without a permit or license and hunting without a permit or license, as stipulated under Chapter 11, Sections 11.2 (g and I) of the National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law of Liberia.
The Zwedru City Magisterial Court, in a ruling dated June 13, 2023, and signed by Judge Augustine T. Noring, found Kofi Budi guilty of both counts. The defendant admitted to the charges during the court proceedings.
Following his conviction, Kofi Budi is currently being held at the Zwedru Correctional Palace.
In a previous incident in May 2023, Varney Fody, a resident of Toe Town, Grand Gedeh County, was apprehended with nine and a half large bags of pangolin scales, weighing over 370 kilograms. This seizure is believed to be the largest to date by the special wildlife investigation unit.
The joint team, consisting of the Liberia National Police, Forestry Development Authority, LRA Customs, and their international partners, is committed to ensuring that wildlife traffickers and traders face legal consequences.
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On June 5, 2023, the Ministry of Justice, through the office of City Solicitor Atty. Jerome W. Tarpeh of the Zwedru City Magisterial Court, requested an arrest warrant for Kofi Budi regarding the crimes he allegedly committed.
The defendant was apprehended on June 5, 2023, and placed in custody at the National Correction Palace in Zwedru.
During the court proceedings on June 13, 2023, the state was represented by Atty. Adolphus B. Brown and Atty. Jerome W. Tarpeh, City Solicitor, while the defendant was represented by Atty. Morias T. Waylee.
The state presented the arrest warrant to the defendant, who subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges and sought mercy from the court.
Considering the evidence presented by the state, including photographs and the defendant's confession, and since the 26 parrots have been turned over to the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), who are the rightful owners, the court has ruled that the defendant is guilty of the crimes.
This is not the first instance of individuals from Grand Gedeh County engaging in illegal hunting and possession of live animals. In a similar incident in May of this year, Varney Fody was arrested with over nine bags of pangolin scales, weighing over 370 kilograms.
