MMD suspends Liato

MMD suspends Liato
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sun 27 Nov. 2011, 12:00 CAT

THE MMD has with immediate effect suspended Austin Liato from the party following the discovery of K2.1 billion buried at his farm on Thursday.

And former PF national youth secretary Erick Chanda says Liato's scam is a serious indicator of the extent of plunder that took place under the fallen Rupiah Banda regime and more loot was expected to be recovered from former leaders.

On Thursday night, a combined team of officers from Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and Zambia Police conducted a two-hour operation at Liato's farm in Mwembeshi area in Mumbwa and recovered K2.1 billion that was stuffed in safes and steel trunks, buried under two layers of concrete slab.

In a statement yesterday, MMD national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe stated that the discovery of K2.1 billion buried on former labour minister Liato's farm is shocking.

Maj Kachingwe stated that the party had decided in its interests to distance itself from Liato who is MMD's chairman for labour.

"In view of the seriousness of the matter at hand, I wish to distance the party from the same and in order to give the member personal time to deal with a personal matter," Maj Kachingwe stated.

" I have today invoked the powers vested in me by article 50 (3) of the MMD constitution to suspend him from the party and his position in NEC and that I shall bring the matter to the attention of NEC at its next sitting."

Maj Kachingwe stated that the party has no better defence on allegations raised against Liato of suspected abuse of public resources, stressing that the revelations made on Liato were bad enough for the party.

And MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga said he was dumbfounded by the discovery and exhuming of the multi-billion loot buried in an unfinished building with grilled doors.

"I am shocked. I don't know what to say. I am wordless," Mabenga said. "I didn't expect such a thing to happen. I must admit it's not good for the party."

Mabenga said Liato should be investigated, and the matter should not be seen as political harassment.

"This is not the harassment people are talking about," said Mabenga. "This is not the type of harassment people are talking about. And we will be waiting to see what the investigating agents are going to find out. This is very disappointing and I really don't know what to say. For now, I need to reflect on this because it is not good for the party."

And Chanda said Liato had committed the highest economic sabotage to Zambia.

"Liato has committed the highest economic crime in our country," he said. "The money that was kept underground Liato should have known that if that money was put in circulation, it could have helped a lot of young people to access."

Chanda said Liato's mafia-style of concealing the loot was not an isolated incident.

"Shame on him and shame on the MMD leaders who are in the same act," he said. "Of course, even if we are not sure, what has happened to Liato, it is clear that some other MMD members who were in government must be in the same boots and we call upon the law enforcement agencies to make sure that this is extended to all leaders in this regime."

Chanda said Liato could not justify the source of the money as being clean.

"We know that it is not clean money. If it was clean money, it was going to be in his account. As PF we condemn this in the strongest possible terms and we call upon the investigating wings to ensure that Liato is dealt with expeditiously. Liato does not have businesses that can yield such kind of money which he can keep underground. We want Liato to avail to the investigating agencies and explain how he acquired that money or else, we will take it upon as young people and hand him over to the police," said Chanda.

"We have done it before with William Banda Lusaka MMD provincial chairman, so we can still find him and hand him over to the police. For him to keep all that money underground shows how selfish and greedy he is and it is not only him but all leaders who were in MMD. This is an indication of the greed of their regime."