• Ombata was arrested alongside two police drivers, Constable Patrick Murigi and Corporal Festus Saha, who were driving the two vehicles.
• The OCPD pleaded not guilty to the charge of being in possession of endangered species contrary to section 94(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
A senior police officer was on Wednesday arraigned at the Kahawa Law courts following his arrest for being in possession of 15 tonnes of Sandalwood, 14 Kg of Cannabis Sativa and an assault rifle.
Calvin Juma Boy Ombata, who is the OCPD Samburu East, was arrested on September 27.
This was after two police vehicle registration numbers GKA 237Y Toyota Land cruiser and Isuzu FTS lorry registration number GKB 870T, were found at his residence loaded with the aforementioned consignment.
He was arrested at his residence following a tip-off from the public.
Ombata was arrested alongside two police drivers, Constable Patrick Murigi and Corporal Festus Saha, who were driving the two vehicles.
The OCPD pleaded not guilty to the charge of being in possession of endangered species contrary to section 94(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
He was released on a bond of Sh2 million and a surety of a similar amount.
The harvesting and trade of sandalwood were criminalized in 2007 by the government following increased exploitation of the aromatic tree whose roots are used for the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
The species is now on the top of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list of Threatened Species, due to the rise in its illegal felling and trading.
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