This is amid claims that N/a'an ku sê and its owners are receiving favourable treatment by the authorities. 

The Namibian has learnt that a case CR 291/10/2020 was registered a week ago against N/a'an ku sê and one of its owners, Rudie van Vuuren. 

Ministry officials said the case under investigation involved allegations of the illegal transportation of game and the breeding of game in captivity. 

Sources said the case was registered as a result of the ministry's inspection of the N/a'an ku sê premises in May this year. 

Officials, according to the report, found transgressions and non-compliance to wildlife regulations at the sanctuary.

The inspection also concluded that N/a'an ku sê should release some of the wildlife and kill 217 animals. 

The conclusion prompted the sanctuary to challenge the ministry's decision in court.

Van Vuuren yesterday said he is not aware of a new case against him or the N/a'an ku sê foundation, apart from the unresolved case dating back to 2016. 

He said he also contacted Theo Nghitila, the executive director of environment, forestry and tourism, who told him no such case exists.

Van Vuuren claimed there are officials in the ministry who are trying to discredit them.

“I urge you to check the reliability of your source. He is vindictive, and you will publish any further defamatory information at your own risk,” Van Vuuren said.

The ministry has provided The Namibian with conflicting information. 

Nghitila yesterday claimed he was not aware of the case and that neither he nor his senior officials approved the process of registering a case against Van Vuuren or the N/a'an ku sê foundation.

Nghitila also said he had not yet studied the May 2020 inspection report and bemoaned the fact that officials at his ministry leaked the report to the media before it even reached his office.

He denied allegations that his ministry has been giving N/a'an ku sê and its owners preferential treatment because Van Vuuren is president Hage Geingob's personal doctor.

It was reported last month that other citizens have not been treated as leniently for committing minor offences compared to N/a'an ku sê's alleged transgressions.

Examples include the arrest of 60-year-old Soini Nakamwe for keeping three tortoises without any required documents from the environment ministry.

Nakamwe surrendered himself to the police on 10 July and appeared at the Outapi Magistrate's Court three days later.

He was charged with possession of controlled wildlife products under the Nature Conservation Amendment Act of 2017 and granted N$3 000 bail.

In another case, Joseph Immanuel (38) from Outapi was arrested on 21 July for violating the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975 and the Nature Conservation Amendment Act of 2017 after he was caught in possession of wild animals.

Immanuel was keeping a vervet monkey at home without the relevant documents. The arrest came after an undercover operation was conducted.

In contrast to these two examples, the May 2020 inspection report of N/a'an ku sê's facilities by the environment ministry found 96 tortoises and six vervet monkeys.

The report states that the foundation has defrauded the ministry of N$59 200 annually for nine species of wild animals it was keeping without the appropriate permits.

“N/a'an ku sê has defrauded the ministry, resulting from the non-payment/non-application of a permit/licence to keep animals in captivity other than rehabilitation centres,” the report reads.