'Child saw parents strangled'
2006-01-23 21:18
Pretoria - A four-year-old Chinese girl had to watch her mother and father being strangled before being murdered herself, a witness told Pretoria High Court on Monday.
Yan Bo Zhang, arrested in connection with the murder of Chinese businessman Jia-Bin Li, his wife, Zin, and daughters Ruby, four, and Louise, 16, testified for the State after being offered the possibility of indemnity.
Two Chinese nationals, Siyuan Liu, 48, and Jiansen Bai, 54, have pleaded not guilty to the murders, as well as to a charge of kidnapping Louise Li in November 2004.
The family's decomposing bodies were discovered in a stormwater drainpipe in the veld next to Samrand Road in Midrand.
Zhang testified that Li, who had his wife and younger daughter with him, was lured to Liu's house under false pretences.
He was confronted by Liu and Bai, who wanted him to settle a court case against Liu on the spot and to pay them R3.7m he owed them and a business associate.
Tied up husband and wife
When Li said he would rather wait for the outcome of the court case and did not have any money to pay them, Liu and Bai became angry and started punching and kicking Li until he collapsed.
His little daughter was reading a comic book on the couch.
When Li again told them that he could not pay, they tied him and his wife's hands and feet with nylon rope and dragged them to the garage.
There, Li was thrown to the ground and his wife put in Liu's minibus. Little Ruby followed her mother and sat next to her.
After switching off Li's cellphone and confiscating his keys, Liu and Bai again asked Li for their money. There was a long argument and they then started hitting him, Zhang said.
Forced him to sign documents
Liu used a wooden stick to beat Li on the head until he bled and Bai used his fists and feet until he agreed to do what they wanted.
Li agreed to give them his property, flooring and shares as payment and they also forced him to sign three documents, which looked like contracts.
Bai went to put the documents in his car, but when he returned Mrs Li, who had been silent up to then, started ranting and raving.
She told them the documents were not legal and threatened to go to the police and charge them with kidnapping.
Zhang said: "The accused were shocked. They went outside and had a discussion. When they returned, both went to the corner of the garage and took a thin white rope.
Bai went to Li's wife and stood in front of her. While she was still screaming, he placed the rope around her neck and tied a knot.
"He put a wooden stick inside the knot and started turning the stick until she stopped shouting.
"Liu went to Li, put the rope around his neck a few times, took a metal tool and started twisting it and strangling Mr Li. He struggled a bit and then stopped.
"After both of them were dead, Bai went to the little girl and strangled her in the same manner," said Zhang.
Decided to use sewer or drain
According to Zhang, Liu and Bai left with Li's car, but returned after an hour with a body wrapped in a blanket. He could see from the long hair that it was a girl.
Liu and Bai then discussed how to get rid of the bodies and decided that it would be better to dump them in a sewer or drain pipe, because it would take too long to bury them.
Zhang and another man, who was with them, helped Liu and Bai wrap all four bodies in plastic before placing the bodies in Liu's minibus and driving off.
Zhang was to continue his evidence on Tuesday.
- SAPA