His friend promised him that he would be paid US$3 000 if he delivered the suitcases to his brother in China, and he agreed to do as asked, Li stated. He also said his friend had told him that there were rhino horns and a leopard skin in the suitcases. He stated that he received the suitcases, which were locked, from his friend at Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino. ![]() Li said he was visiting Namibia as a tourist and to explore business opportunities in the construction sector when his friend made the request to him. He claimed in a plea explanation that a childhood friend of his had asked him to transport two suitcases from Namibia to China, where he was supposed to deliver the pieces of luggage to a brother of his friend. Li Zhibing, though, admitted that he attempted to export the 14 rhino horns and leopard skin at the centre of their case from Namibia through Hosea Kutako International Airport on 24 March last year. Wang, Pu and Li Xiaoliang pleaded not guilty to the charges when their trial began in July. Sibeya is representing Chinese citizens Wang Hui (40), Pu Xuexin (50), Li Zhibing (54) and Li Xiaoliang (31), who are charged with two counts of unlawful export of controlled wildlife products, alternatively unlawful dealing in or possession of controlled wildlife products, and a count of unlawfully acquiring, possessing, using or taking out of Namibia the proceeds of unlawful activities, alternatively money laundering. Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt postponed the trial on Thursday last week because Sibeya was unable to start with his cross-questioning of De Klerk due to a bereavement in his family. The head of the Namibian Police’s Protected Resources Unit, chief inspector Barry de Klerk, is due to be cross-examined by defence lawyer Orben Sibeya when the four men’s trial continues in the Windhoek Regional Court on 19 November. THE trial of the four Chinese men accused of having tried to smuggle 14 rhino horns and a leopard skin out of Namibia in March last year is scheduled to continue next month.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |