The Director of Public Prosecutions has today entered a Nolle prosequi in the matter against former Labour Minister Hon Austin Liato and accordingly withdrawn the case from court.
He has however instructed that the former Minister be rearrested on same charges of two separate counts of Abuse of Authority of Office contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Penal Code Cap. 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
On the first Count Mr. Austin Liato in June 2010 did Abuse his Office of Authority being a Member of Parliament for Kaoma Central Constituency and Labour Minister by facilitating the sinking of two boreholes at his farm in Mwembeshi, when in fact these boreholes were meant to be sunk in Kaoma Central Constituency.
On the second Count, Honourable Liato on unknown dates but between 14th May, 2010 and 19th May, 2010 did facilitate the diversion of two hammer mills which were meant for the people of Kaoma District.
He will be released on Police Bond and will appear in Court soon.
What? I think we need a new DPP. This is gross incompetence.The guy has been failing to prove cases and keeps subjecting people to stress by dragging them through long court cases that he eventually fails to substantiate. Isn’t there a way to counter sue or make them pay with costs?
Bawishi I totally agree this is absolutely rubbish
hahahahahah,,,, nchito!!
so the state has no case against Liato! Give the man back his suit cases full of ma kwacha
What law has this guy studied? From the time the man became DPP, more murderers have walked to freedom, and now this?
Again it looks like DPP have analysed this case and given a decision which is the right decision
The trouble with the subjects and spectators of the law , they think doing a good job is finding someone with a case to answer
No you You smarmy lagerlout gits give credit where it is due
Doing a PhD and analysing this article I feel the right decision has been made
Thanks
Merely harassing innocent “private” bankers!! leave Liato alone.
The problem is that cases are rushed to court before being extensively investigated. This has tended to be case with “political” cases. The nolle has been grossly abused by the state.
The Nolle has nothing to do with the 2 billion! Liato is already a convict surviving on an appeal to the high court. This is the case concerning boreholes and hammer mills. Nchito is bad news, you haters will just end up with heart attacks, especially when you small god BR gets convicted.
Pa Zambia paliba ifyabupuba. So efi nshi ififine fi Nolle Prosequi? What’s happening in this country?
I dont subscribe to this concept of address disgraced men or women by the title “Honourable”. The man is a common thief. The law may have failed to nail the man, but honourable he surely is not. So please, it would help that such theiving people be addressed by their rightful titles or just dont use salutations that they aren’t entitled.
1.7 is correct ! This is NOT the 2 billion kwacha case ( that was a slam dunk ) . This one is an abuse of authority case ! ( read the article carefully ) !
Zambia has no adequate laws which can convict a person on corruption… all this is just political noise
Very true Engineer very true. The legal professionals, especially those in the government wings, are proving to be incompetent and seem lost. They’re a disgrace to their professors.
Not that they not they are incompetent they are just corrupt. Nchito was praised during Late FTZ Chiluba’s cases most of the people said is a good lawyer and that time he was not in Government . But now that he is in Government he is failing to perform well meaning he is just corrupt.
I am sorry They are not corrupt
Mr Nchito gets $13,721 a month basic salary
He has enough money he doesn’t need to be corrupted
Zambia has actually adquate laws but it is only that the cases were founded on wrong footing. Fixing to submission political enemies. Look at the opposition MPs with cases how they scamper to join the ruling parties.
Chib
Its not as simple as you think to convict someone with corruption, not just in Zambia, in many countries due to inadequate laws and legal skills as well as systems which can actually detect the corruption which i doubt Zambia has. How many people have you heard of who have been convicted?
The most incompetent and foolish DPP the world has ever seen!
rubbish for how long,same cases we are sick and tired.
The DPP is overpaid, he loots more than the chief justice from our trasury. So why would he bother doing his work properly, he has too much money?
Do you mean treasury or trasury ?
So Nchito has failed to nail this guy down on the widely publicised buried K2 billion at his farm and he now want to prosecute him on a lesser case of hammer mills and bore holes?
This incompetency from the DPP. We wanted this guy nailed on the buried K2 billion!! How much more evidence do you need?
Its seems simple but the reality is that the DPP has failed to prove that the money was stolen…
…they’ve shared the loot.
The fat man may have proved how he legally earned the amount…I mean failure to do so is tantamount to theft or money laundering isn’t it? Aren’t Zambian laws along with pursuasive cases from the Commonwealth enough for that? The DPP along with his investigators are just dull.
This case has nothing to do with 2 billion do not be dull.liato is serving that sentence though have appealed .nchoto is a good lawyer he is not corrupt and do not represent crooks like your favourite lawyers he is a man of God no so dear agents of the enemy hate him show me any good lawyer who fears The Lord?
We cant allow this animal to continue taking cases to court and wasting our money. I urge the govt to recover all costs incurred in court fees and legal representation from this incompetent and imbecile DPP in respect of all the nolle cases.
I thought this guy was sentenced but he appealed,so did he serve his years behind bar or what?u fail to account for source of k2b and one who says chimbwe no plan goes in for 6months.lets Zambia introduce the jury system.
Zaffico mdala niyo vuta!
K2billion bakugwila nayo live, but still more you manage to walk away. Nikalibe onapo ine!!
Only in Zambia mudala, only pa Zed!
@mulupa
Do you what that kind of zaffico is called in western province?? thats called makando!!
DDP has failed!!!
Liato hated the banking and banks.. so he choose to bury in money for safe keeping, no bank charges!!.hheheheheheheh
WHICH CASE HAS BEEN WITHDROWN IS IT THE 2 BILLION CASE WHERE EVEN HIS FARM WAS HANDED TO THE STATE?
Yes…
Lazy chap, read!
On the first Count Mr. Austin Liato in June 2010 did Abuse his Office of Authority being a Member of Parliament for Kaoma Central Constituency and Labour Minister by facilitating the sinking of two boreholes at his farm in Mwembeshi, when in fact these boreholes were meant to be sunk in Kaoma Central Constituency.
On the second Count, Honourable Liato on unknown dates but between 14th May, 2010 and 19th May, 2010 did facilitate the diversion of two hammer mills which were meant for the people of Kaoma District.
There is NO 2 BILLION here!!!!!
All these other charges they are trying to use now to re-arrest Liato are just out of embarrassment of the DPP – just to save his face. The President needs a new DPP, and I’m sure the president will be very disappointed.
On the other hand, THAT MONEY was Liato’s money. Nobody had reported stolen money, nobody reported that his/her K2billion had been stolen. People just found Liato with K2billion and started accusing him that there is no way he should be having that money unless he stole it. That was really witch-hunting of the worst kind and I’m convinced that the court has passed the correct judgement. What the government should have done is first of all to ascertain whether Ministry of Finance was missing K2billion on its accounts…but they failed. It was Liato’s money! Finito!
Rubbish! Marabishi!
My friend, you are right. Do you remember the case of Regina Mwanza Vs The State? Regina was accused, among other things, of being in possession of a stolen TV from State House. Why did the court acquit her? Yes, the TV has a State House label but State House never reported any missing TV to the police. Who has ever complained of a missing sum amounting to what was found at Liato’s farm?
Had it been in dollars maybe we could suspect guys like Ekpene, but in Kwacha, only the DPP knows.
Mulupa dont show your ignorance.The burden is on the state to show that the money is REASONABLY SUSPECTED TO BE PROCEEDS OF A CROME.Yes having no one coning to claim the money could lead to one suspecting that the money is not part of proceeds of crime but is such a suspicion reasonable.Pipo dont bury money unless there is something wrong.And remember we are not talking about some nut case we are talking about a very literate person not some rich ila chap who disposes of money in this fashion because he has no access to a bank.
Criminal Mutembo Nchito discovered he had no evidence and went fishing again. This criminal thrives where there is government backing. During Mwanawasa, everyone was fooled and started thinking the criminal was a good lawyer. After the death of Mwanawasa, Mutembo was exposed and instead he started forging judgements. Mutembo has never been a good lawyer because of his criminal mind. I can bet that all the cases he is currently prosecuting will end up like any other case – acquitals – because they are not based on fact but are emotionally inclined. If Zambia were a country with laws, this criminal should have been behind bars and not holding that honourable office. This shows you what kind of president we have. Can a ountry develop with the likes of Sata at the helm? IT IS A BIG JOKE.
Wow our prosecutors have failed to prove that the K2billion was stolen after all the drama and media hype that caused? PF is really a balloon filled with hot air! What ever happened to the gold scam case that RB was accused of when PF just came into power..why did it get quiet?
There is no 2 BILLION here you lazy chaps that comment without reading.
On the first Count Mr. Austin Liato in June 2010 did Abuse his Office of Authority being a Member of Parliament for Kaoma Central Constituency and Labour Minister by facilitating the sinking of two boreholes at his farm in Mwembeshi, when in fact these boreholes were meant to be sunk in Kaoma Central Constituency.
On the second Count, Honourable Liato on unknown dates but between 14th May, 2010 and 19th May, 2010 did facilitate the diversion of two hammer mills which were meant for the people of Kaoma District.
He will be released on Police Bond and will appear in Court soon.
action man.
just ignore these bloggers who want to mislead the gullible.
its a well known fact that liato was convicted and jailed over the K2 billion saga.
the cases talked about here are totally different from the K2 billion one.
our LT has been invaded by these f@$#&! and it is fast becoming a bore.
This reminds me of some outfit that Mwanawasa constituted; I can’t remember the name but this DPP was part of it and he was overpaid but nothing good came out of it. So he is still getting more? More than the CJ; iliko baadi Mu Zambia zoona
Yet some poor people are sent to prison for many years just for stealing a chicken!!!!!!
six bags of salt which was late recovered and taken to owner- 5 years
This Mbunda thief from Western Province must be caged. When he became Minister in LPM’s government, he was at FAT, now its a disease – OBESITY. Who can believe he was born in 1970?
I don’t trust the so called DPP!
Mambala bamu dyesamo. Eating with both hands….
Life sure sam one stills salt or sausage from shoprite and you sentence him 2yrs with hard labour without westing time but others ni animal farm?????God help us
Useless!
I wanna come to Zed & start stealing from the poor masses. I know I will be Rich & a Free Man. More money in my pockets will ring TRUE!
try and lets see what will happen to you,, .. you do not know what Liato did or went to, to have his case turning and twisting
some chaps were sent jail for stealing salt…heheheheheheh
I know Ndobo- @ 16.1.
A person steals a chicken to feed his starving family, -the starvation offshoots of Corrupt abuse of office + greed by Government officials,& ends up imprisoned in those HORRIFIC Zambian Prisons for years.
The architects of the misery walk away free, richer, & smiling.
Only during President Levy’s time in office, was there tangible evidence of war on graft!
Not that they are incompetent they are just corrupt. Nchito was praised during Late FTZ Chiluba’s cases most of the people said is a good lawyer and that time he was not in Government . But now that he is in Government he is failing to perform well meaning he is just corrupt.
Even where you are there are poor people. Steal from them instead
Makando alati boi.
I knew this cases was baseless
I would like to see Mr Liato now sue the government, the media and possibly LT
For slander
His good reputation has been destroyed
Kawambwa girls after Chinese sex
YOUNG girls in Kawambwa’s Mushota area are reportedly chasing after Chinese men working on Kawambwa-Luwingu road to have a feel of ‘Chinese sex’, the district AIDS task force has revealed.
Sexual activities in Mushota area of Senior Chief Mushota’s area have reportedly gone up following the commencement of road works by Unik Engineering Zambia Limited, a Chinese firm contracted to upgrade the Kawambwa via Mushota-Luwingu road to bituminous standard.
During the district development coordinating committee meeting at Kawambwa civic centre chamber, district AIDS coordination adviser Emmanuel Chileya revealed that casual sex between Chinese contractors and young girls had become common because the girls were keen to have unprotected sex with the Chinese.
Let him get his money as it were, old currency. After all, that is what he is fighting to get back
Its just artificial incompetence synergised by corruption that we are witnessing. Liato secured hammer mills as his own when they were private property that’s stealing period. Buried 2 billion underground, that’s a crime even when its his own money -hoarding.
To the pipo talking about the K2billion: that case was prosecuted and he was found guilty and was convicted to 2years or pay a fine of 50million. that K2billion was forfeited to the state. the hammer mill case is a stand alone offence with nothing whatsoever to do with the 2billion case,,,,,hope my explanation will go a long way in assisting clarify this issue!
So which case is the nolle for if not the K2 billion? Update/educate us wechikopo iwe!
Read you insolent fellow. Why do you want others to read for you?
On the first Count Mr. Austin Liato in June 2010 did Abuse his Office of Authority being a Member of Parliament for Kaoma Central Constituency and Labour Minister by facilitating the sinking of two boreholes at his farm in Mwembeshi, when in fact these boreholes were meant to be sunk in Kaoma Central Constituency.
On the second Count, Honourable Liato on unknown dates but between 14th May, 2010 and 19th May, 2010 did facilitate the diversion of two hammer mills which were meant for the people of Kaoma District.
He will be released on Police Bond and will appear in Court soon.
@Action Man. This is the biggest problem with most bloggers. They do not read, analyze, nor understand the main articles, but merely post drivel based on the headlines. Look at the evidence from the blogs on this article, despite you trying to explain over and over what the article is actually saying.
@Maja The Elephant,
this just goes to prove correct our earlier assertions that its only about 5 to 6 bloggers who actively post here but use 3 to 4 different pseudos each so that you and me will think that the majority are against this one or that one when in fact not.
just look at how hard THE ACTION MAN has tried to reason with them but to no avail.
Ps. Has anyone seen the President? This is becoming irresponsible.He is like an absentee father.Isn’t it a threat to national security for the president to go on secret rendez-vous’ after attending major conferences?
Wyntas’ protégé has done it again! Another nolle prosequi? Just like the minister of justice, nothing but lost cases!
This Nchito guy is useless! He has more dirty on his hands than the guys he wants to put in jail. You can’t have a corrupt DPP and expect anything positive to come out!
but y bury if it was aqiured geneurwingly. the fact is it was stolen but state have failed to trace how it was stolen. let me ask this if liato awarded a contract worth $5m and he gets a kick back of $1m deposited in an off shore account in hong kong. how do u prove this if no one is awere abount it?
Hey guys, the plot in this drama is very simple. Nchito is NOT happy that President Sata has began to assert himself. The fact that the President has allowed RB to go out of the country has annoyed NCHITO and the post newspaper big time. So, in reaction and for NCHITO to show Sata that he is key to his life, he will be deliberately losing cases so as to embarrass government. Watch the space. More politically sensitive cases will be lost deliberately so that someone somewhere will begin to beg NCHITO.
Liato alefisa budo mulufumo!
Rubbish.
Zambia for sale. First bidder plse.!
Am an Agent for Mathani; instructions are that we outbid anyone perhaps we start with a million dollars?
He has however instructed that the former Minister be rearrested on same charges of two separate counts of Abuse of Authority of Office contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Penal Code Cap. 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
The news says the SAME CHARGES so there might have been a technicality in the earlier charges which could have made the case to belost hence rearresting him
Liato stole the money but Dpp doesn’t know how.so Dpp is very dull for failing to prove the case.
kekekekekekeke..ba mutembo..yaba!!pf where to?
So the man will be given back the old currency, checkmate, give back what belongs to Cesar without any alterations.
Pa Zambia paliba ifyabupuba. So efi nshi ififine fi Nolle Prosequi?
No wonder abena al shabab want brodcasting rights because zedians are busy feuding over nonsense whilst bamambala are busy putting their stamp on all our resources and syphoning monies to their own ocuntries.
Palya mulewaya noku kolwa kwati drinking has come out of fashion lots of opportunists have taken over then you cry foul.
Very soon we will be tenants in our own country.
Trial and Error prosecution. Damn, dead end, let me drop this case and try another to see if it sticks!
They told us they found large sums of money buried at Liato’s property? Is there no law in Zambia concerning money laundering? At least if you cannot prove that money came from the proceeds of crime. Could this be a question of sharing the Loot for campaigns or what?
A Nolle prosequi is not an acquittal you guys. You should know some basics before making comments. The DPP is just leaving no room for Liato to escape by casting even some little doubt in the mind of the court. Why do you think he has been rearrested just upon exiting the court room? Liato might have carelessly exposed his defence and the DPP intelligently picked it. The DPP has just refined the charges.
This reporting is very bad. It should have stated the particular case for which the state has entered a nolle prosequi. Hasn’t Liato already been convicted on one case?
Who charged him in the first place and if they did not have enough evidence that he stole the K2bn then why charge him in the first place? SMH
For the umpteenth time , this nolle has nothing to do with the 2 billion case . ADVICE : ‘ READ THE ARTICAL” !
naliishibe ati tapali uko fileyah ifi! Iwe DPP ALIFILWA UKULIPILA 18 BILLION KU DBZ. Ulelanda pali 13 000 dollas walishiba life style yabo ifyo yaba. He is not learned naimwe nti aikata banani palishilya idalama after all tashyali 2 billion shali 4.8 billion. Epo umulandu wakosele. So DPP Failed because Liato alikana ati tefyoshali indalama FULL STOP
Zambian politicians have taken advantage of us because we don’t ask them of what they do. If it were in America this Zambian DPP would have been demoted coz he has failed over 20 cases since PF came into Power.
Turn the innocent man loose and give him his suitcases of cash…rather arrest those who are shop-lifting chickens in shop rite and stealing corn meal cos they are hungry.
How can LIATO be called Honourable, what is that, is he still an MP or what, please advise?