Former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba on Monday appeared before two different courts on corruption and theft charges but both cases were adjourned due to disorganisation in the prosecution team.
Chiluba, accompanied by his wife, Regina, first appeared before a magistrate’s court on charges of stealing $4-million from the nation’s Treasury together with his former director of intelligence Xavier Chungu, but the trial once again failed to take off.
The adjournment annoyed Chiluba’s lawyers and the magistrate.
”It’s disappointing that the state never seems to be ready to proceed with these matters,” Magistrate Mwiinde Siavwapa said, adjourning the case to April 19.
One of the private prosecutors, Nchima Nchito, apologised to the court for the continued delay in the prosecution and assured the court that the trial would proceed next month.
There is confusion within the state prosecution team after President Levy Mwanawasa suspended the director of public prosecutions, Mukelebai Mukelebai, after he was accused of allegedly conniving with Chiluba.
Twenty minutes later, Chiluba, Chungu and five others appeared before another magistrate’s court in Lusaka on charges of stealing $40-million from state coffers.
That case was moved to April 26.
”If justice can’t be shown to the former head of state, I don’t know what happens to ordinary Zambians,” said Chifumu Banda, one of the lawyers defending Chiluba.
He told the court that the former president was being inconvenienced by the persistent delays by the state prosecutors.
When Magistrate Jones Chinyama adjourned the case, Chiluba declined to leave the dock for a few minutes, sparking laughter in the courtroom, which was packed with his relatives and supporters.
Chiluba is accused of stealing state funds and corruption when he ruled Zambia between 1991 and 2001. — Sapa-AFP