Chinese national, Lin Yunhua, the notorious kingpin of a wildlife trafficking syndicate convicted in 2021 for smuggling 2.6 tons of ivory, rhino horns, and pangolin scales worth millions, entered a not-guilty plea on Monday, January 12, 2026, to seven corruption-related counts before High Court Judge Redson Kapindu, capping a saga marked by a controversial presidential pardon, international outcry from conservation groups, and allegations of deep-rooted bribery within Malawi’s justice and prison systems.
Yunhua, who led the Lin-Zhang cartel that turned Malawi into a hub for illegal wildlife trade across southern Africa since his arrival from China in 2009, faces two charges of corrupt practices for allegedly offering K30 million and house construction completion in 2019 to Maula Prison’s then-officer-in-charge, Aaron Ganyavu Kaunda, aiming to sway Chief Resident Magistrate Violet Chipao toward a lighter sentence in his original case.
Additionally, five counts of abuse of public office accuse him of persuading prison officials to allow unauthorised excursions from Maula Prison between 2022 and 2023 to his residences in Lilongwe’s Area 9, Biwi, Kanengo, and Bunda neighbourhoods while serving his 14-year term.
The case, resurfacing after Yunhua’s shock pardon by former President Lazarus Chakwera in July 2025 – which drew condemnation from groups like the Environmental Investigation Agency for undermining anti-trafficking efforts – led to his swift re-arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on fresh bribery claims involving a High Court judge and prison staff.
Kapindu, who dismissed Yunhua’s bail and unlawful detention bids in November citing flight risk, adjourned proceedings to Tuesday for a ruling on the case’s direction, as Malawi’s conservation commitment faces scrutiny amid ongoing human and wildlife trafficking crises fueled by corruption.
By Winston Mwale, AfricaBrief