The Chief Resident Magistrate’s in Lilongwe has failed to commence hearing a money laundering case involving three Chinese nationals.

The trial, which resumed for plea taking on Monday, failed to proceed because the forth accused a 48-year old Chinese national Hua Qin Zhang developed a medical condition whilst at court premises.

The State through its prosecutor Levison Mangani asked Magistrate Patrick Chirwa that plea on part of the accused persons cannot be taken in the absence of the forth accused person.

Mangani further requested the court to proceed by addressing preliminary issues regarding the case.

“In the same manner your worship, we pray that for the being, the honourable court should consider hearing preliminary issues and address them thoroughly,” Mangani said.

“Such that when we reconvene on a set date we should proceed straight to the trial, that’s our request as State.”

Without objecting the plea taking request, the defense objected procession of the trial through tackling preliminary issues on consolidation of the matter.

The defense said the State was yet to serve the court with an order of transfer of proceedings from another court.

In his determination on the objection, Magistrate Chirwa directed that the State should write the Court within the next seven days.

The court has since adjourned the matter to a date soon to be communicated in accordance with a medical report on wellness of the forth accused who was rushed to the hospital.

Zhang is being accused alongside Lin Huixin, 24, Kankanige Anura Alwis, 62 and Li Hao Yuan, 32.

Meanwhile, both Huixin and Alwis are currently on court bail whilst Yuan and Zhang are currently serving custodial sentences having being convicted of other wildlife-related offences

The four accused persons are being accused of three counts bordering on money laundering and dealing in foreign currency.