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.