A Chinese national Lu ke was found guilty on Thursday by a Malawian court and expelled from the country after being charged with racism and abusing children in connection with a number of online recordings.
Lu Ke, 27, was given a 12-month term by a judge in Lilongwe, the nation’s capital, after being found guilty of racial exploitation and recruiting youngsters to participate in entertainment.
Lu, who was detained last year, was granted seven days to depart Malawi after serving his prison sentence, according to public prosecutor Masauko Chamkakala.
“He has already served 12 months, hence his immediate release,” Chamkakala told newsmen.
Children who did not comprehend Chinese were allegedly recorded by Lu as they sang derogatory chants about themselves. The tapes were afterwards sold on Chinese social media.
A little child, about nine years old, was heard declaring in one video: “I am a monster with low IQ.” Chamkakala claimed Lu had compensated the victims, but she would not say how much.
After escaping to Zambia, Lu was apprehended there in June of last year for unlawful entry and eventually extradited back to Malawi.
When the allegations surfaced, the Chinese embassy in Malawi condemned the accused’s actions in a statement, saying “the Chinese government has zero tolerance for racism.”