State concerned with delayed justice in MK53m wildlife crime case involving Zambian national

The State has expressed worry over the slow pace at which a wildlife crime case involving Zambian national, Kelby Roy Malambo, is progressing.

Malambo was found with 22 pieces of raw ivory, weighing 64.905 kilogrammes valued at about MK53 million at Mwami Border Total Filling Station in Mchinji in February last year, which led to his arrest.

He faces three charges, which include being found in possession of specimen of listed species, dealing in government trophy and importing specimen of listed species without producing to a customs officer a valid permit.

Malambo

The matter, whose hearing was supposed to resume on Wednesday, 9 February, 2022, failed to proceed after Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda heard that lawyer for accused was not present in the court.

This was after the case had been adjourned before several times, as the defense had kept on giving excuses.

During the Wednesday’s scheduled hearing, Malambo was expected to start defending himself after being found with a case to answer in September last year.

This time, the excuse for Malambo’s lawyer, according to Nyirenda, is that “his license expired and could not continue representing his client.”

This prompted State Prosecutor Levi Mangani to ask the court to adjourn the matter to a later date, suggesting that ‘if the accused’s lawyer will not be present again, the court could proceed, with the accused executing the defense himself.

Nyirenda has since adjourned hearing of the case to March 8, 2022.

All those offences Malambo committed, are contrary to the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 2017.

Malambo, 47, comes from Livingstone City in Monze District in Zambia.

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