A Chinese woman who was caught with ivory at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe has been freed by the courts.
Lilongwe Resident Magistrate Shyerene Yona on Thursday suspended the woman’s two year sentence, essentially freeing her.
The woman Qi Zhang was arrested on Tuesday after she was found with 16 small pieces of ivory which she wanted to smuggle to China.
According to KIA police spokesperson Sapulain Chitonde Lee, in court the 49-year-old Chinese national was convicted of two counts of illegal exportation and being found in possession of game trophy (Ivory).
In the first count of found in possession of ivory, she was sentenced to one year in prison but the sentence was suspended to one year and a half years.
In the second count of attempting to export ivory, she was sentenced to one and a half years in jail but the sentence was suspended to two years.
This means that Qi Zhang is unlikely to serve time in jail.
The 16 Ivory curios and the carton she used to conceal were forfeited to the Malawi Government.
Qi Zhang holds passport number G32128866. She comes from Fuji Town in China while here in Malawi she stays in Area 6.
This is a direct exchange with the Police vehicles. Somebody in the corridor of power has interfered with justice.