In the wake of Malawi President committing to protecting ivory, the Mzuzu high court has sentenced two brothers on allegations they smuggled ivory worth about 4 Billion Kwacha and also were involved in money laundering.
The brothers, Chancy and Patrick Kaunda were arrested in 2013 after the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) confiscated 781 pieces of ivory in a car they were travelling in.
According to the presiding judge, Dingiswayo Madise, the two convicts are supposed to stay in jail for 7 years or pay a fine of K2.5m each.
He said the first 5 years are for ivory smuggling or a fine of K1.5m each seconded by 2 years for money laundering or K1m each.
Madise said the two were not caught kill the elephants and he accepted mitigation from them as the ivory were also recovered.
Meanwhile, the judge has also ruled that the government should set a date to burn the 781 pieces of ivory in presence of judicial officials, police, government and the general public.