- Doctors at Lusaka hospital have been taking care of the former Zambian President, Frederick Chiluba after he had collapsed at his home.
Dr. Chiluba’s spokesman, Emmanuel Mwamba, said though his conditions remain stable but doctors would not allow the 64-year-old former leader to leave the hospital. He is said to be suffering from heart problems.
Next week, Zambian doctors are expected to examine whether Mr Chiluba is medically strong to face corruption charges.
A Lusaka court last year ruled that he was not medically fit to stand trial.
On 5 May, Peter Smith of London High Court found Dr. Chiluba guilty of stealing US $46 millions from the public coffers. Convicted in absentia, the former Zambian President’s assets might have his assets frozen.
The civil suit was brought against him by the Attorney General of Zambia.
The High Court Judge described Mr Chiluba as a man with “global reputation of being a smart and expensive dresser.”
His conviction followed accusations that he had laundered public monies through two law firms in UK. Though he officially earned US $105,000 during his tenure in office, but Dr Chiluba paid US $1.2 millions to Boutique Basile in Switzerland.
The British judge said Dr Chiluba lavishly spent the money “at a time when vast majority of Zambians were struggling to live on US $1 a day and many could not afford more than one meal a day.”
However, Dr. Chiluba vehemently opposed Judge Smith’s judgment, describing it as a prejudicial action that would seriously undermine the outcome of the criminal proceedings against him in the Lusaka Magistrate Court.
Mr Chiluba said the judgment has rendered the Lusaka Court’s proceedings academic. He wonders why two parallel trials be simultaneously run on the same facts and circumstances.
Dr. Chiluba, who ran Zambia for 10 years, vows to disregard the authority of the London Court for attempting to try him on matters which are purely Zambian.
He said the London court lacked jurisdiction to try him, after all, Zambia is an independent and sovereign state endowed with the capacity to handle its own case.
Dr. Chiluba wondered why an outside court would enter such an unfair judgment on him when he was guaranteed innocent by the Zambian constitution until proven guilty.
Some years back, Mr Chiluba expressed fury over the seizure of hundreds of his designer suits, shirts and shoes from a warehouse. He said the act is tantamount to bringing his underpants out to the public.
His successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who has been trying to stamp on official corruption, promised to pardon Mr Chiluba provided he had accepted corruption charges and return 75 percent of the stolen cash.
But Mr Chiluba would not agree, as he kept maintaining his innocence.
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