Malawi police have accused a Chinese man of child trafficking after a BBC documentary accused him of filming children chanting racist phrases and mocking each other in Chinese.
Police Service spokesman Harry Namwaza told CNN that the man identified as Lu Ke was charged with five counts of child trafficking in a magistrate’s court in the capital Lilongwe on Monday.
Lu was arrested last month and extradited from Zambia after fleeing Malawi, the police spokesman said.
“He appeared in court yesterday (Monday) and was taken to Maula Prison for 15 days while the police work to complete the investigation,” added Namwaza.
He further explained that the accused asked the court for bail but was turned down for fears that he might escape the law, especially as their previous encounter showed.
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The BBC Africa Eye documentary alleged that Lu used Malawian children to film personalized welcome videos sold online in China, some of which contained racist content.
In one clip, some children—reportedly only 6 years old—chanted in Chinese: “I’m a black monster and my IQ is low,” the documentary revealed. The film sparked outrage in Malawi after it aired.
Lu did not have a lawyer at Monday’s hearing and did not file an appeal, police spokesman Namwaza said.
