Lusaka: The verdict in former Zambian
President Frederick Chiluba's six-year corruption trial has
been postponed until next week, an aide said on Friday.
Chiluba was accused of stealing nearly USD 500,000 of
state money to fund an extravagant lifestyle during his decade
as the first democratically elected leader of the impoverished
southern African nation. Chiluba was president from 1991 to
2001.
A verdict was expected today but will now be handed
down Monday, Chiluba's special assistant Emmanuel Mwamba said.
The magistrate, Jones Chinyama, was not ready to give judgment
and didn't show up in court, Mwamba said. Chiluba was there
and he was smiling and talking to people in the courtroom.
Scores of others who had been expecting a verdict
filled the courtroom, including Chiluba's wife, Regina. In
March, she was convicted of receiving stolen property and
money from him and sentenced to 3 1/2 years hard labour. She
is free pending an appeal.
Chiluba's prosecution marks a milestone on a continent
where politicians often have power over courts and oversight
bodies are so weak that citizens struggle to keep their
leaders honest.
Chiluba had argued that he and his associates were
targeted in a political witch hunt backed by the British,
Zambia's former colonial rulers.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, August 14, 2009, 17:48