Anson Wong Released
A Court of Appeals in Malaysia today released wildlife trafficker Anson Wong. Wong had served 17.5 months of a five year prison sentence for smuggling boa constrictors. You can read more here.
Wong’s five year sentence was a significant one for a wildlife trafficker anywhere in the world, and unprecedented in Malaysia. The Appeals Court today ruled that the 5 year sentence did not fit the crime of boa constrictor smuggling, a defensible conclusion in the limited circumstances of this case.
Ironically, the failure of Malaysia’s Wildlife Department ever to arrest Wong worked to his advantage: “It is trite law that Wong’s plea of guilt is a mitigating factor. It is trite law that the fact Wong was the first offender is another mitigating factor,” the judge said.
Agents and prosecutors in US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Operation Chameleon would argue that Wong was hardly a “first offender.” Instead, as Wong confessed in a US Court room, he smuggled critically endangered wildlife for decades.
What did occur for the first time was that Wong was brought to justice in his own country. This is a major advance. It is the result of good work by Malaysian citizens, national media, NGOs, legislators, prosecutors, and judges. Every element of Malaysian society except Malaysia’s Wildlife Department worked hard for justice in this case. The future is yet to reveal itself…
Tags: Anson Wong, Perhilitan, USFWS, Wildlife trafficking
February 22nd, 2012 at 6:50 pm
I guess it is great news that Malaysia actually sentenced Wong for 5 years to begin with, and the fact that so many people are now aware of who is is and what he’s done, because he served time. But honesty, when someone like Anson Wong gets released, I don’t think that being in prison is going to change anything for HIM. The fact that while he was in there, his wife was probably taking “care of things” for him, and now that he’s out, there’s no saying he won’t go back to doing exactly what he has been! Grey’s monitor… that’s gota mean something, right? This guy has developed contacts over decades. He’s kept them hidden, functioning, and happy. If this IS a victory, it’s just a tiny one.. But yes, it probably IS a start.
February 27th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD ARE SO PETTY TODAY.
I AM MORE THEN PLEASED THAT MR.WONG HAS BEEN RELEASED.
WHAT HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF IS SO PETTY AS TO WHAT GOES ON IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.
EXAMPLE….A YOUNG MAN ON THE STREET APPROACHED ANOTHER
AND ASKED FOR A CIGARETTE….HE WAS REFUSED THE CIGARETTE HE ASKED FOR SO HE KILLED THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT GIVE IT.
THE WAY THE PUBLIC ARE CONDEMNING MR.WONG YOU WOULD THINK
HE WAS A CONVICT.
I SAY….BE CAREFUL OF STONES THAT YOU THROW.
BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD….IT COULD BE YOU.
GROW UP…LIVE AND LET LIVE.
WOULD BE LESS PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD IF PEOPLE WOULD MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
BEST OF LUCK ANSON………..