Maravi

Liato still in custody

Liato still in custody
By Kombe Chimpinde and Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 01 Dec. 2011, 13:58 CAT

POLICE yesterday continued with their investigations and interrogation of former labour minister Austin Liato in connection with the K2.1 billion that was retrieved from his Mwembeshi farm last Thursday.

By 15 hours yesterday, Liato had not yet been formally charged and was still in police detention at Woodlands Police Station as his lawyers from Lukona and Mutemwa Chambers tried to secure his release. Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela said further investigations were being conducted on Liato before any charges could be laid against him.

Liato turned himself in around 15:00hours on Tuesday after repeated callouts by the police for him to appear before a combined team of security agencies in connection with the K2.1 billion that was dug up at his farm in Mwembeshi.

Liato arrived at the former Task Force Offices in the company of six of his relatives and political ally Joseph Mulyata, the former defence deputy minister in the previous government.

He was interrogated for over two hours before he was whisked away by security officers to his house in Kalundu where a search was conducted for about two hours.

Scores of journalists who were present were denied entry to the house during the search.

And sources said Liato kept quiet throughout the two-hour interrogation.

"He was not speaking, only his lawyers were speaking," the source said.

The sources said investigators were expected to move Liato to his farm in Mwembeshi where the money was unearthed for scene identification for him to confirm whether or not he owns the premises in question.

The sources said Liato was believed to have been in Kaoma, a constituency where he was member of parliament for 10 years, and had not fully briefed his lawyers concerning the K2.1 billion before he appeared to the combined team of Zambia Police, Anti Corruption Commission and Drug Enforcement Commission officers that are investigating the case.

Labels: AUSTIN LIATO, COURTS

posted by MrK @ 4:17 PM