In a strange revelation which came out in court, police officers were reportedly flown to Kanyemba by owners of a safari in the Zambezi Valley to arrest a rival, William Terrence Kelly who is the managing director of Chewore Lodges.

Kelly is standing trial on allegations of illegally entering Big Five safaris and stealing motion cameras and deleting data.

It is alleged that he illegally entered the estate and stole the camera which monitored movements where professional hunter Clifton Walker with the help of national parks officials had set bait for a hunt.

He has denied the allegations and believes there is malice around his arrest amid reports that the matter was initially declined prosecution at Guruve magistrates court.

He argued that he did not enter the estate illegally as it is his property given to him by Parks authorities in terms of a lease agreement signed in 2017 and the said hunting by Walker was illegal and poaching which he was preventing.

He argued that Big Five's lease expired in 2021 and according to a clause in the lease it was not to be renewed and his granted him authority to get part of the estate.

His lawyer Mr Everson Chatambudza made the revelation that cops were flown to arrest his client by a plane from Big Five while cross examining a State witness Charles Kanda an official from parks.

"Are you aware that the matter was reported at Kanyemba police station and the Docket was compiled and taken to Guruve magistrate court were prosecution was denied?"

He added that Kelly was arrested at night and transported to the police station in a boat also owned by Big Five through the prohibited Zambezi River's Mapata gorge which Kanda admitted prohibited sailing.

The defence also said the witnesses were being sponsored by Big Five to come to court and also their stay in Harare.

He said his conduct is not consistent with someone stealing the camera as he alerted officials of the camera and took it to parks officials who refused to take it before taking it to the police.