Suspected wood dealers plead guilty, granted bail

Eight people, who were arrested on Saturday for illegally sourcing banned hardwood from Malawi’s Lengwe National Park in Chikwawa, have pleaded guilty to three offences they have been charged with.

The suspects have since been granted bail and are scheduled to appear before Chikwawa Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday next week.

The offences are illegal entry into a protected area, conveying weapons into a protected area and destroying vegetation contrary to sections 32, 33 and 35 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

Director of Parks and Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, Bright Kumchedwa, yesterday said the suspects were taken to Nchilombo Magistrate’s Court first grade magistrate Chilundu transferred the matter to Chikwawa Magistrate’s Court for continuation of hearing next Wednesday.

The eight people were arrested on Saturday night after being found in possession of 200 illegal Mopane logs which were felled at Lengwe National Park in the district while 195 other logs were yet to be collected from the park.

Upon interrogation, the suspects implicated Chikwawa Nkombezi  member of Parliament (MP) Lloyd Malola (Democratic Progressive Party-DPP) as the one who hired and sent them to carry out the mission.

But Malola denied the allegations, saying he knew nothing about the matter.

The arrest of the eight comes barely a month after the law enforcers in the park also apprehended 23 Mozambicans, two Chinese nationals and 10 Malawians who were found cutting down the same tree species.

Kumchedwa confirmed the alleged connection of the Parliamentarian in the deal of sourcing banned hardwood.

Southern Region police spokesperson Ramsy Mushani also confirmed the arrests of the eight but could not divulge further details. n