One of the men accused of the kidnapping and murder of a Pretoria-based Chinese businessman and his family implicated a state witness in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Siyuan Liu was testifying against an application by the state to withdraw his R3 000 bail and keep him in custody until his October 10 trial.
The state said he is a flight risk and presented DNA evidence on Tuesday linking Liu to the crime. A letter from the Chinese government, stating that Liu had arrived in South Africa with a forged passport, was also handed in.
Speaking through an interpreter, Liu said he had moved into his new home four days before the November 4 murders of Jia Bin-Li, his wife, Lilly, and their daughters Louise and Ruby.
Liu said state witness Yanbo Zhang had known Liu’s house, as he had been looking after it before Liu moved in.
He said Zhang had keys to the house.
Police identified blood found in the garage at Liu’s house as Bin-Li and Liu’s. A sample of hair found in Liu’s Volkswagen minibus was Bin-Li’s daughter’s.
Police believe the minibus was the vehicle used to dispose of the family’s bodies in a drainpipe in Samrand Road, Centurion.
Zhang was one of five men arrested for the murder of the family. He has since turned state witness and is in custody on a separate charge of being in the country illegally.
During cross-examination, state advocate JP Marais put it to Liu that he will not stay and stand trial, as he has shown his ability ”to move around freely”.
Marais said apart from DNA evidence linking Liu to the murder, he also has an eyewitness describing Liu’s role in the crime.
Liu has denied any role in the murder.
He said he will not leave the country as he believes in the South African justice system and has a two-year-old granddaughter and an eight-year-old grandson who depend on his income for survival.
Magistrate Dreyer van der Merwe adjourned the court until 2pm, when the defence will present further evidence. — Sapa