Meet ‘biggy’ of Maula Prison

 Considered one of Southern Africa’s notorious wildlife crimes kingpin, Lin Yun Hua has become a maverick convict who freely frequents his farm and throws money with largess, including donating cows to his prison.

An internal investigation in the Malawi Prisons Service (MPS) has exposed that Lin, who is serving a 14-year jail sentence for wildlife crimes and money laundering, could go out of Maula Prison for unsanctioned personal business contrary to procedures.

The probe follows the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) story last year, which captured footage of Lin outside prison under the escort of prison officials and a vehicle. PIJ reported that Lin was spotted at a garage in Biwi and his house in Area 9, but prison officials refuted these reports.

Our own investigations based on collaborated interviews with prison officials and official reports from within prison reveal that Lin was accorded preferential treatment and used donations to buy freedom at the jail.

According to an internal report, Lin’s exploitation of prison authorities started in 2019 when he had just been arrested and remanded at Maula. The report shows that Lin visited his farm in Lilongwe Rural to slaughter livestock to feed prisoners and went to buy seedlings for a vegetable garden he personally managed at Maula Prison.

“Several activities surrounding the inmate started as soon as his imprisonment in 2019. The station regimes that have been here between the time of his imprisonment and now (2023) pay testimony to this” reads the report from the current Maula Prison officer-in-charge identified as Assistant Commissioner K.J.C Mwale.

It captured testimonies of officers who formed part of Lin’s illegal escort team.

It also implicates former prison administrations; officers-in-charge and station officers for Lin’s illegal outings. The report indicates that one of the former station’s officers was transferred because of his alleged involvement with Lin’s illegal undertakings.

It further confirms that prison authorities allowed Lin under prison escort to visit his farm at Gumulira Village in Traditional Authority Chimutu – almost 30 kilometres from Maula Prison.

Our interviews with officers involved in this exercise and farm workers also confirmed visits to the farm from 2020 to 2022 to either slaughter livestock (cattle and pigs) to supplement the prison diet or to pay his workers.

According to the report, while Maula Prison has had a change of regimes since 2019 – the syndicate continued under subsequent leadership in 2023.

“The system continued as one of the escortees confirmed that the prisoner could indeed be taken out of prison to various places. Some places the prisoner was being taken to are Kanengo Industrial Area to buy seedlings; to his farm at Lumbadzi; Biwi to collect money from his colleagues instead of the bank, among other places. During the trips, the government vehicle (PS 82) was used and a private vehicle belonging to one of the officers.”

While the current prison administration in its report exonerates itself from wrongdoing –Lin was captured on camera in Biwi and his house last year.

It claims they only sanctioned Lin to visit either the bank or hospital and suspects that the prisoner connived with escorting officers to take him to unsanctioned places. According to the internal report, a prisoner is only allowed to go out under the escort of warders; when demanded by police or court as well as visiting the hospital and the bank.

But interviews with officers at Maula Prison and statements recorded do not show that Lin was ever taken to the bank, but Biwi where he collected funds for the garden and for fixing some pots at Maula.

“Even the current administration is fully aware that Lin has been going out to do his business under their authority. One time the prison management asked Lin to help with funds to fix the electrical pots which were not working for some time. Only two were working and this meant it took several hours to prepare meals for prisoners. Management approached Lin for help and he was allowed to go source some K1 million which was used to fix the pots. All these are recorded in the donation book,” claimed one of the officers at this station.

Another officer also confirmed Lin’s trip to his Area 9 house, saying this was another sanctioned trip as the prisoner had indicated that he wanted to pick a grinder to donate to the prison for use in the carpentry section.

A report from Central Region commander identified as C. Chimera – Deputy Commissioner of Prison to the Commissioner General, observes that the prisoner’s ability to access his money while in prison gave him an urge to influence officers to his advantage.

“The prisoners ability to access his money anyhow gave him more influence over some officers as he could easily manipulate their authority; hence, compromise their professionalism at the expense of justice and security,” reads Chimera’s submission to headquarters which also recommended the transfer of the prisoner to another facility.

We understand Lin is now at Mzimba Prison following this recommendation.

Meanwhile, four officers have been interdicted for being part of the escort team. The officers also appeared before ACB for questioning.

“Our procedures are very strict. You cannot take a prisoner out without being authorised by the officer-in-charge and the station officer. Here is an influential prisoner convicted of serious offences; wildlife crimes and money laundering and then you have junior officers taking him as far as his farm without prison authorities knowing this?” wondered the senior official.

The official further said if these trips were not sanctioned, how then did prison authorities accept donations from the same trip such as meat and seedlings for the garden.

When asked to confirm the bank that Lin visited and why authorities accepted donations from unsanctioned trips, Malawi Prisons Service spokesperson Chimwemwe Shaba declined to comment, saying: “The allegations you have raised were being investigated by ACB. As a department, we cooperated with ACB through the investigation period. The findings of ACB and its recommendations remain classified for now until the right time”.

Asked if Lin has access to his bank accounts – Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) spokesperson Masautso Ebere, referred us to ACB which has a special project on asset recovery relating to illegal wildlife trade.

ACB principal public relations officer Egrita Ndala confirmed they were investigating Lin’s preferential treatment at Maula Prison and other transactions.

Ndala said: “The bureau conducted its investigations on the above issue and as part of these investigations the issue of Lin going out of prison to buy properties formed part of that investigation. Considering some sensitive issues surrounding this case we are not in a position to divulge more information until an appropriate time.”