The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a motion to discontinue corruption proceedings against convicted wildlife trafficker Lin Yun Hua on the basis that allegations against officials be addressed through administrative action, not criminal prosecution.
In an affidavit supporting the withdrawal application, ACB chief legal and prosecution officer Peter Sambani said Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Fostino Maere directed the bureau to discontinue the proceedings after consultations with relevant authorities.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions advised the Anti-Corruption Bureau to withdraw the proceedings and that the misconduct of the involved prison officials should be handled administratively,” reads part of the affidavit.
The application is particularly significant because the trial had already started and the State had called witnesses before seeking to terminate the proceedings.
Lin, one of the most prominent figures in Malawi’s fight against organised wildlife crime, remained in custody after receiving a presidential pardon last year because he was facing separate corruption-related charges.
Prosecutors had accused him of attempting to corrupt prison authorities while on remand at Maula Prison in 2019.
| Courtesy of Jica
According to the State’s case, Lin allegedly offered K30 million in cash and promised to complete construction of a house for a senior prison officer in exchange for assistance in influencing the outcome of his wildlife trafficking trial.
The case also involved allegations that prison officials unlawfully allowed him to leave custody on several occasions between 2022 and 2023 and travel to locations around Lilongwe.
The decision has raised questions from governance advocates who argue that disciplinary action cannot substitute criminal accountability in a case involving allegations of bribery, abuse of office and interference with the administration of justice.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe questioned the rationale for discontinuing the proceedings.
In a separate interview, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira described the decision as troubling.
The latest development adds another chapter to the controversial Lin saga.
In 2021, Lin was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after being convicted of wildlife trafficking and money laundering offences linked to rhino horn and other protected wildlife products. The conviction was widely celebrated by conservation groups as one of Africa’s most significant wildlife crime prosecutions.
However, controversy erupted in July 2025 when Lin was granted a presidential pardon after serving about four years of his sentence.
Conservation and governance organisations criticised the decision, arguing that it weakened deterrence against organised wildlife crime. Despite the pardon, Lin remained behind bars because of the corruption proceedings that are now the subject of the withdrawal application.
