Cops beat witness - accused
2005-10-18 16:57
Johannesburg - Two Chinese nationals accused of murdering a businessman and his family claimed on Tuesday police had assaulted the chief State witness against them.
Counsel for Jiansen Bai, 54, put it to the former investigating officer, inspector Johan Breytenbach, that Yanbo Zang, who also was arrested in connection with the murder, had made a statement to the police after being assaulted.
Zang is the chief witness for the State against Bai and Siyuan Liu, who are on trial for the November 2004 murders of businessman Jia-Bin Li, his wife, Xin, and daughters Ruby, four, and Louise, 16.
>p?The family's bodies were discovered in a drainpipe next to the Samrand Road in Midrand.
Bai and Liu have pleaded not guilty to four murder charges and a charge of kidnapping Louise.
Counsel for Liu, Dave Smith SC, put it to Breytenbach that there was a medical report stating that his client was seriously assaulted by police.
Not involved at the time
It was also put to Breytenbach that Liu's son, Pei, would testify that police had assaulted him and his father in each other's presence.
Pei was initially arrested with his father, but later released.
Breytenbach said he was not involved in the investigation at the time of the alleged assaults and knew nothing about it.
Henry Cowley, for Bai, asked Breytenbach if he was aware that the Scorpions had investigated the former commanding officer at head office of the serious and violent crimes unit, superintendent Poerie van Rooyen, for "unconventional investigating methods".
Breytenbach said he heard about it only at the start of the trial.
He said he was transferred to serious and violent crimes during the course of the murder investigation and reported directly to Van Rooyen.
'Unconventional manner'
He conceded that he would have felt "uncomfortable" to go ahead with a search of Liu's home if he had been aware that the evidence of Zang, which led to the search, might have been obtained in an "unconventional manner".
Counsel for Liu earlier indicated that the defence would attack the validity of a search warrant and a raid on his home.
The trial was adjourned to Thursday.
- SAPA