Chinese national Bin Liu found with case to answer in MK10m wildlife crime
The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court, on Friday, found Chinese national, Bin Liu, with a case to answer on the three charges levelled against him as he stands trial for committing wildlife crimes and illegally acquiring a firearm.
Court documents show, in part, that Liu faced charges of possession of ivory weighing 10.250 kilograms and valued at MK9.2 million, skull of Impala worth MK1.4 million and acquiring a firearm from another person without a permit in writing.
After parading nine state witnesses, the court found him with a case to answer on the charges as follows:
(1) Possession of specimen of listed species, namely; 13 pieces of raw ivory and five pieces of processed ivory without permits.
(2) Possession of endangered species, namely; one skull of bushback and one skull of Impala without permit.
(3) Acquiring a firearm from another person without a permit in writing.
Following this ruling, Liu is expected to start defending himself.
His lawyers, apparently, asked the court to give them 45 days so that “they can prepare themselves to serve a number of disclosures before commencement of their defence”.
However, the court said it will set the date for commencement of defence in due course.
The first two offenses Liu committed, are against the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 2017.
On the other hand, the third offense is contrary to the Firearms Act of the Laws of Malawi.
Liu was arrested in August last year after the police, accompanied by wildlife officials and sniffer dogs, conducted a search at his house in Area 47 in Lilongwe and found the illegal items.
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