Nephew to former Labour minister Austin Liato today narrated to the court how he was physically assaulted by Mr. Liato and his elder brother Peter accusing him of having framed the former minister after a combined team of Police and DEC officers discovered K2.1 billion buried at his farm in Mwembeshi.
This is in a matter in which Mr. Liato is charged with being in possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to section 71 subsection one of the forfeiture of proceeds of crime Act number 19 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia
Testifying against his uncle before Principal Magistrate Aridah Chulu was Evans Biemba 44, a nephew and former caretaker of Mr. Liato’s farm who told the packed courtroom that at the time the Chalet where money was discovered was being erected, he was not at the farm as he had gone out to attend a funeral.
He said when police officers stormed the farm; he had no idea of what they were looking for and was shocked after they discovered K2.1 billion buried in Chalet.
In cross examination by defence Lawyer Nelly Mutti, Biemba told the court how his relationship with his uncle Liato has soured following the excavation of the money at the farm adding that he is currently staying at Lilayi Police College because of threats from the former minister’s family.
He explained that although he did not witness the counting of the money at the police, it is doubtful that K600 million was missing as claimed by the defence.
Another witness, Kalu Chiswaswa a former employee at Mr. Liato’s farm told the court that he was in possession of a copy of a document he signed indicating that the money that was counted was K2.1 billion.
Chiswaswa said he did not participate in counting the money but that he witnessed the counting process and that the money counted was K2.1 billion and not K2.6 billion as claimed by the defence team.
The matter comes up for continued trial on Tuesday January 24, 2012.
Obama
January 20, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Zambians and money
Madonx
January 20, 2012 at 11:14 pm
i wont comment coz ma issues ya mu family aya
Nandibo Mpoosepo
January 20, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Awe ine natina! Importance of this case seems to be shifting towards the amount he buried and what was actually dug out. Nga nimu Law & Order ninshi the case would be compromised! In Ghana, a substance which was tested in the lab and found to be cocaine in 2008 was found to have turned to baking powder 3 years later. These cops, the K2.1B might just turn to K2.1M!I hope stringent security measures are put in place to ensure the cash does not grow legs!
Zebige
January 21, 2012 at 12:35 am
Ashitisha yama wakwe chikala.
Shameless
January 21, 2012 at 5:40 am
Lets quickly get over the arguements of whether it was 2.7 or 2.1 as this seems to be gimmick by the defence team.
If they insist that it was 2.7 then let Liato prove than he buried 2.7 and this will mean there is some more money still buried somewhere.
Liato must also not forget that he will all the same remain anserable for the 2.1 while whoever he wants to implicate in the other 600M will also be anserable for it.
Air Mukwai_
January 21, 2012 at 7:24 am
blood is thicker than water…..
Mkafushah
January 21, 2012 at 7:54 am
let us change the currency to see ba chimbwi nabambi comimg out. Bengi.
zedzed
January 21, 2012 at 7:55 am
inda sha mu prison shikomfwa bwino ukuonka fimilopa fya chi LIATO: pompololeni chi dumbo guyz, am poor but am free!
Gen.Gredenko
January 21, 2012 at 9:57 am
Weather its 2.7b or 2.1b ba Nelly Mutti our interest as Zambians is to know the source of that money.
Ayatollah
January 21, 2012 at 10:24 am
I find Liato’s reasonning a bit strange. Why was he threatening people who have alibis? They have said they did witness the construction of the chalet under which money was buried. If I were him, I would consider the guys that built the chalet. Other than that, Liato seems to be a very cruel greedy man
TAX PAYER
January 21, 2012 at 10:36 am
BA ZAMBIA!Y SHUD YU BE TROUBLED WITH UNENDING MONEY CASH FARMER?JUST CHANGE THE CURRENCY AND ALL WILL COME TO LIGHT B4 HE PUTS HIS HEAD HIGH PROUDLY AND SHOUT VIONENI.
GUN.
January 21, 2012 at 10:37 am
Tell the idiots a 100m equals 10yrs in jail so that we see if they will stick by their foolish claims,Biemba keep it up,walechilomba airtime chalelanda ati ‘nimpya’ akaso chi color.
Prof; Zick
January 21, 2012 at 11:06 am
If your relative can testify against u dear it means u are in the wrong,just say yes u stolen the money,your BP will be raising everyday just say yes go to jail and come back ku Komboni,u are most welcome ku komboni after your sentence
HOMEBOY
January 21, 2012 at 11:28 am
yama alekana ukumu chikelato akanono umwaiche,lesson 2 all yo thievin bastards,pay off the witnesses and all poential RATS!
HOMEBOY
January 21, 2012 at 11:31 am
ba mudala strt runin n neva luk bak,pantu jele yapa zed with all dat chubyness boss ba guy bakamitemwa.
mbeba
January 21, 2012 at 12:14 pm
lets not be misled by the defence team, what they should be concerned with is, WAS LIATO IN ORDER TO BURRY MONEY IN THE GROUND? PERIOD! not what ba Nelly is trying to do iyo twakana! does the Law allow people to burry money? Because this case even if am not a Lawyer, is a very simple one. and the fact that ba blulu are against this selfish and foolish guy? awe mwandi fili eko tuleya.Ba Mutembo nayo nayo!
Michael kaoma
January 21, 2012 at 2:55 pm
A combined team of law enforcement agencies,including the police,ACC,and DEC,unearthed Liato’s trunks,and they had a valid search warrant.
The whole procedure was recorded and photographic evidence exists to that effect.
Remember Archamedis,the greek who discovered Density? “Eureka”he shouted.
Well,k50,000 bundles have a specific volume. During cross examination,Liato,should tell the court how an extra k600 million,was able to fit in those trunks.
Anyway,the case is not how much money his belly can conceal,but rather that his fat a** was found in possesion of funds suspected to have been proceeds of a crime.
All Liato’s doing is delay the inevitable. But his time ya sila,Boma,ya mugwila!
manda
January 21, 2012 at 3:27 pm
seems all people commenting have little knowledge of law. the burden of proof rests upon the state that the money is proceeds of crime and by law tampering with evidence renders the case useless. if it is proved that the money was 2.7 Billion the state would lose the case and by law they cannot take the case back to court on another charge using the same evidence.
so far there is nothing constructive from state witnesses, non has so far proved that the monies are proceeds of crime. the burden of proof also rest upon the state to tell the court where the money was stolen or what crime was committed behind that money. we still have a long way to go. lets wait and see how events unfold
Sando
January 21, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Maybe uncle Liato is right. Send another search team to his farm.You might find the 600M Zmk. Sorry uncle these people do not appreciate. You kept that old idiot for a long time and he decide to sell you out. Kill me.
Pragmatist 2012
January 21, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Claim of K600M going missing by Liato’s defence won’t save his skin. All the same, Liato will have to present to the court witnesses who packed the money in the trunks possibly from the a bank. Failure to which the prosecution will relish on crime as the source of the money. In this case we are all lawyers who have seen naked evedence of criminality committed by Liato. Shame!
Mpopo yapa zed
January 21, 2012 at 10:09 pm
your whole family is corrupt!Pack your bags and go back to angola,malabishi!
Kalaba mwila martin
January 22, 2012 at 9:58 am
Liato and his defense team should stop playing games in order to delay the case. Chikala liato ur time is up prison life will add value to u chikala coz u asked for it. Ifwe tulenya amenshi iwe chikala uleshikapo shimo. Waba ichibo?
chuundu man
February 3, 2013 at 3:02 pm
if the money is missing let them xray liato, last time i saw him he wasnt walking proper i think he swalloed it, like that indian guy, xray him and save him