Chinese charged with keeping wildlife trophies

KWS officer produces tortoise as evidence. (George Njunge, Standard)

Three Chinese were yesterday charged with illegal possession of ivory and rotten meat.

Shang Li Yun, Xing Wei and Zhang Jie faced three counts of being in possession of wildlife trophies, keeping a live tortoise and being in possession of rotten meat.

They denied the charges before Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot.

Prosecution said they committed the offence on January 9, 2019, in Shang’s house in Kilimani, Nairobi.

According to the charge sheet, the three were found in possession of one rhino horn worth Sh1.8 million, leopard skin worth Sh500,000, two elephant ivories, seven ivory necklaces and five ivory bangles all valued at Sh4 million.

They were also found with a live tortoise, which the court directed it to be released to the wild.

Shang was further charged with engaging in business without a permit. The court heard she was running a supermarket along Ngong Road without a work permit.

Her son Zhang was also charged with being illegally in Kenya and engaging in business without a work permit.

The prosecution opposed their release on bail saying they were a flight risk.

A ruling on their bail application will be delivered today.