Tanzania expels Indonesia diplomat over game trophies

Tanzania expels Indonesia diplomat over game trophies

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters): Tanzania has expelled an Indonesian
diplomat after he was found in possession of illegal game
trophies which he planned to smuggled out of the country, a
foreign ministry statement said.

The statement, released on Wednesday, said: "Tanzania has
decided to declare Mr Sungong Sugiyono, administrative attache at
the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, persona non grata... "

The statement added that Sugiyono had been given 48 hours to
leave the country.

Tanzanian customs officers inspected Indonesian embassy
premises on April 9 and found 19 leopard skins, 12 elephant
tusks, one crocodile skin, one python skin, three ivory walking
sticks and six ivory carvings, the statement said.

This is the third time illegal wildlife trophies have been
confiscated from Indonesian diplomats since 1989. Tanzania has
made a formal protest to Jakarta.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were not
available for comment yesterday.