Fraud convict Tony Yengeni could be sent back to jail if found guilty of animal cruelty, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said on Monday.
During his home-coming celebrations over the weekend, Yengeni is said to have stabbed a bull with a spear before it was slaughtered for a feast.
”If these allegation are true, then this is definitely a criminal offence under the Animal Protection Act,” said SPCA spokesperson Andries Venter. The SPCA is investigating.
”For this kind of an offence a court could sentence a guilty person for up to twelve months’ imprisonment,” he said, adding that the offence carried a maximum fine of R200 000.
”Once we have completed our investigation, we will forward the docket to the police, who will then hand it over to the state prosecutor for a decision,” said Venter.
A former African National Congress chief whip, Yengeni was convicted of fraud in 2004. He was released last Monday after serving four months of his four-year sentence.
His prison stint was marked by allegations that he received preferential treatment.
The bull and two sheep were slaughtered on Friday as part Yengeni’s post-prison cleansing ceremony. — Sapa