The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court has started hearing evidence of a case in which a Chinese national Lin Yun Hua is being accused of dealing with Rhino horns.

According to State Lawyer Andy Kaonga, both the Chinese, who is being accused alongside a Malawian counterpart Jimmy Mkwezalamba for possession of live pangolins, have a complex matter before the court.

Kaonga told YONECO FM Online that he is impressed with the evidence the State brought before the court which has exposed the whole syndicate behind the crime.

“The evidence that has been given has been good evidence, in so far the evidence that is concerned you need to be focused on what we call provenance, you have to show how the evidence come and our witness has portrayed such,” said Kaonga.

However, lawyer for the accused Chrispine Ndalama has expressed displeasure with evidence put forth by the State saying that WhatsApp and Facebook information cannot be trusted in the modern age.

“The problem is that they were using WhatsApp communication and Facebook, and you know with the modern technology, WhatsApp cannot be trusted and they have converted the information into a presentable form through computers and we haven’t seen the original messages,” said Ndalama.

Lin Yun Hua is answering charges of illegal possession of specimen of listed species, contrary to section 86 (1) as read with section 110 B (b) of National Park And Wildlife and Dealing in Government Trophies, contrary to section 91 as read with section 110B (b) of the same Act.

Both Lin and his wife are remanded at Maula Prison but Lin’s wife is already serving another sentence for the previous offence which she committed in 2015.

The court will resume hearing the case on 20th May, this year.