Defence fails to file submissions in K10m wildlife crime involving Chinese national Bin Liu
The defence in a wildlife crime case involving a Chinese national, Bin Liu, has failed to file and make its submissions on Thursday, consequently making the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court unable to make a ruling on whether Liu has a case to answer or not.
Liu is facing trial for committing wildlife crimes and illegally acquiring a firearm.
The court had set Thursday, 10 February, 2022, as the day for the determination of the case.
But when the court reconvened on Thursday morning, the defence went straight into the magistrate’s chambers to plead for an extension, which they were granted.
They were reportedly filing the submissions the same today. But the court is yet to set a new date for the ruling.
Court documents show, in part, that Liu is facing charges of possession of ivory weighing 10.250 kilogrammes 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.
The state finished parading all its nine witnesses, with the last one, Martha Ngalawa, an investigator, alleging that the accused was also found with over 1000 ammunition during the time he was arrested.
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.
