Resisting Bribes and Sex Temptations
The difficult life and work of true conservationists in the Congo basin.
A message from our Conservation Partner Luc Mathot, Executive Director of ‘Conservation Justice’ in Gabon, gives us an idea of what is like protecting wildlife in Central Africa:
“After the arrests and imprisonment of illegal loggers together with the corrupt local forestry official of Mitzic we are back for more arrests in the same area. From the beginning of the year, the new model for Forest Law Enforcement, ALEFI, targeted 7 companies, including 3 Chinese ones. 23 forest criminals have been arrested many of them are senior managers and foreigners. 9 are still behind bars till now.
The fresh arrests in Ndjole target 3 Chinese companies and include the Chinese head of a company…..The three companies started a coordinated effort of trying to buy out our jurist, Broll.
They first proposed 10,000 USD, he resisted and documented the attempts. Then they thought raising the price will get him to abandon his activism and proposed 14,000 USD. Our jurist resisted and fought back when the criminals came again proposing 30,000 USD!
If that wasn’t enough for a crazy weekend and a test to the clash between activism and greed, a Chinese translator of another company tried to offer sex to Broll to get the big boss released from prison.
Broll Otchika is Conservation Justice’s head of legal department, and his exemplary resistance to bribes and sex temptations makes us proud and shows the value of fostering activism. Broll is an award winning aspiring author, a talented and courageous guy.
I have to run to the airport as customs called to say they just seized 97 kg of shark fins once again…”.
EAL is proud to support Conservation Justice (www.conservation-justice.org)
We hope you will do the same.
Photo credits: James Morgan / WWF-Canon
