Purported plans by the State to discontinue corruption-related proceedings against convicted wildlife trafficker Lin Yun Hua have attracted protests from a coalition of 12 civil society organisations (CSOs).
Briefing the media in Lilongwe yesterday, the 12 CSOs which included Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (Cepa), Youth and Society, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) and the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), demanded justification from authorities amid concerns ABOUT the implications for Malawi’s anti-corruption and wildlife crime enforcement efforts.
Led by Indigenous Conservation of Nature founder Fumukazi Zilanie Gondwe and Cepa programmes manager Alfred Kambwiri, the coalition warned that such a move could undermine Malawi’s anti-corruption and anti-wildlife crime efforts.
“We are concerned by reports that the Director of Public Prosecutions [DPP] and the Anti-Corruption Bureau [ACB] intend to withdraw corruption charges facing Lin,” said Gondwe.
The coalition also called on DPP Fostino Maere to recuse himself from any decision involving Lin, citing his previous role as legal counsel for the convicted wildlife trafficker and raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Frank Namangale said any inquiries regarding the discontinuance of cases are handled by the Director of Public Prosecutions after he has reported to the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament.
The latest controversy comes less than a year after the Chinese received a presidential pardon despite having served only four years of a 14-year prison sentence imposed in 2021 for wildlife trafficking and money laundering offences linked to rhino horn and other protected wildlife products. However, Lin remained in prison despite the pardon.
The reported plan to discontinue the case also follows a series of discontinuation of criminal cases against politically-linked personalities that were started during the former Malawi Congress Party-led administration.
However, three senior lawyers, namely Kamudoni Nyasulu, SC, George Liwimbi and Enock Chibwana are challenging the termination of some of the cases.
