The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
GABORONE, May 26 (ANA) – The Windhoek Regional Court has set June 22 as judgement day in the trial of four Chinese nationals who were arrested in March 2014 on charges of attempting to smuggle 14 rhino horn and a leopard skin to China through the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) in the Namibian capital.
Chinese nationals Li Zhibing, Li Xiaoliang and Pu Xuexin were arrested on March 24, 2014, after detectives discovered the leopard skin, worth N$50,000, and four rhino horns worth N$2.3 million, in their luggage as they were about to catch a flight to the Chinese capital Beijing, en route to the town of Jiansu.
The fourth man who is suspected of being the kingpin of the rhino horn trafficking syndicate, Wang Hui, was arrested later in the same year after more than 10 months on the run. The four are facing charges of unlawful possession of and unlawful dealing in rhino horn.
They also face charges of contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and money laundering. On Wednesday, the four appeared before Windhoek Regional Court magistrate Alexis Diergaardt for the hearing of closing arguments before the delivery of final judgement.
One of the accused persons, Li Zhibing, has already pleaded guilty to all four charges. In his plea, Zhibing said he came to Namibia in May 2013 in search of business opportunities in the construction sector.
He told police that while in Namibia, he met Wu Zhong, a Zambian-based businessman and childhood friend who hired him to deliver two suitcases containing the rhino horn and leopard skin to China for a fee of US$2,300. The four have been held in custody since their arrest two years ago.
– African News Agency (ANA)
Disclaimer: This story is pulled directly from the African News Agency wire, and has not been edited by Mail & Guardian staff. The M&G does not accept responsibility for errors in any statement, quote or extract that may be contained therein.