Malawi High Court Rejects Bid to Drop Corruption Case Against Wildlife Trafficker Lin Yunhua

The High Court’s Financial Crimes Division in Malawi dismissed an application by the Anti‑Corruption Bureau (ACB) to withdraw criminal proceedings against convicted wildlife trafficker Lin Yunhua. Justice Redson Kapindu ruled the request legally incompetent and an abuse of court process, noting that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Fostino Maele, could discontinue the case without court permission.

Lin Yunhua, serving a sentence for wildlife trafficking, is accused of offering MK30 million and promising to build a prison officer’s house in 2019 to influence the outcome of his trial while on remand at Maula Prison. The court highlighted the need for the DPP to use constitutional powers directly and to explain any decision to Parliament. The ruling keeps the corruption case alive, with the trial ongoing since May 2026 and two prison officers already testifying.