Ivory case admission

A Napier man has pleaded guilty to the charges of trading in an endangered species

A Napier man who last year pleaded not guilty to charges alleging illegal importation of elephant ivory has now admitted five charges.

Patrick Cooper, 61, pleaded guilty to the charges of trading in an endangered species, when he appeared before Judge Tony Adeane in Napier District Court yesterday.

He was remanded for sentencing on December 22.

Appearing for prosecuting agency the Department of Conservation, barrister Rebecca Guthrie withdrew 27 other charges to which Cooper had pleaded not guilty when he appeared in the court in September last year.

Defence counsel Scott Jefferson said one of the charges to which Cooper pleaded guilty was "representative" but a small part of the summary of facts relating to that charge was disputed.

The charges were filed by the Department of Conservation in July last year, relating to 31 allegedly illegally imported pieces carved from elephant tusks.

African and Asian elephants are classified as endangered species and a ban on trading ivory was imposed in 1989 by 175 countries that are parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Importing, exporting or re-exporting any part of a protected species without appropriate permits is an offence.