Africa-Press – Malawi. A Chinese national, Bin Liu, is facing trial in the Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Malawi’s Capital, Lilongwe, for committing wildlife crimes and illegally acquiring a firearm.
Court documents show, in part, that Liu is facing charges of possession of ivory weighing 10.250 kilograms and valued at MK9.2 million, skull of Impala worth MK1.4 million and acquiring a firearm from another person without a permit in writing.
The first two offenses are against the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 2017. On the other hand, the third offense is contrary to the Firearms Act of the Laws of Malawi.
Liu was arrested in August this year after the police, accompanied by wildlife officials and sniffer dogs, conducted a search at his house in Area 47 in Lilongwe and found the illegal items.
Nyasa Times understands that the state has so far paraded four witnesses in the hearing of the case, which is reportedly nearing a determination on whether the Chinese national has a case to answer or not.
The state is reportedly remaining with five witnesses and the court has directed that all the remaining witnesses should testify on the next day of hearing, which is 13 December, 2021.
Meanwhile, the defense, in another wildlife crime case involving Zambian national Kelby Roy Malambo, has not yet started parading its witnesses, consequently delaying the case. Malambo is being accused of possessing raw African ivory without a permit. The Senior Resident Magistrate court in Lilongwe is hearing his case.
Malambo was found with 22 pieces of raw ivory, weighing 64.905 kilograms and valued at about MK53 million at Mwami Border Total Filling Station in Mchinji in February this year, which led to his arrest.
He faces three charges and these are: being found in possession of specimen of listed species, dealing in government trophy and importing specimen of listed species without producing to a customs officer a valid permit.
All those offences are contrary to the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 2017. The court is expected to set a new date, where the defense will be required to start parading its witnesses in order for the case to progress. Malambo, 47, comes from Livingstone City in Monze District in Zambia.
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