Africa-Press – Malawi. In a scandalous move that reeks of impunity and elite protectionism, there are credible reports that convicted wildlife trafficker and serial corruption suspect Lin Yunhua—currently serving a 14-year sentence at Dedza Prison—is on the verge of being freed, courtesy of President Lazarus Chakwera’s so-called “presidential pardon.”
According to sources within Dedza Prison who spoke under strict anonymity, Yunhua is among the 21 inmates mysteriously handpicked for release last Friday—despite serving a paltry four years of his sentence for serious environmental crimes that shook the nation and attracted global condemnation.
“The Officer-In-Charge is just waiting for the final nod from headquarters. If all goes as planned, Lin will walk free by tomorrow,” two prison warders confirmed.
When asked, Dedza Prison Officer-In-Charge Chimwemwe Shawa promptly passed the buck, referring inquiries to National Prisons spokesperson Charles Meke—who, conveniently, was unreachable.
This deeply disturbing development contradicts the official narrative issued by the Ministry of Homeland Security, whose Principal Secretary Steven Kayuni claimed that all pardoned inmates had served at least half of their sentences and had shown “good behavior.”
If Yunhua is indeed released, this narrative crumbles like a house of cards, exposing the pardon as yet another smokescreen for elite deals struck behind closed doors.
Let us not forget who Lin Yunhua is. A notorious international criminal, Yunhua was convicted of wildlife trafficking and money laundering—serious offences that contribute to the extinction of endangered species and rob Malawi of its natural heritage.
Yet this is not all.
Yunhua has repeatedly attempted to bribe high court judges, manipulate prison officials, and has illegally slipped out of prison to attend to his personal businesses—acts that would earn any ordinary Malawian a harsher sentence, not clemency. In a jaw-dropping court confession on March 14, 2025, Yunhua admitted to sneaking out of Maula Prison with the help of corrupt warders to run his affairs on the outside. And yet, this is the man that Chakwera’s government now sees fit to pardon?
This latest disgrace calls into question the integrity of Malawi’s justice system, the seriousness of the anti-corruption crusade, and the moral compass of a presidency that appears more interested in protecting criminals than upholding the rule of law.
If Yunhua walks free, it won’t just be a pardon—it will be a slap in the face to justice, a mockery of environmental conservation, and a stinging betrayal of every Malawian who still believes in accountability.
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