Zambia’s corruption-tainted former president Frederick Chiluba collapsed on Thursday and has been admitted to hospital, his spokesperson said.
Chiluba, who is suffering from an acute cardiac complication, collapsed at his house in the morning, Emmanuel Mwamba said.
”Chiluba collapsed this morning. He has been admitted into hospital for observation,” Mwamba said, adding that further details would be released later.
The ex-president, who was convicted of stealing about $46-million in state funds by a London court recently, was due to appear before a panel of medical doctors to determine whether he was fit to stand trial.
Chiluba is facing trial on charges of theft of public funds before a magistrates’ court in Zambia, but his case has stalled due to his illness that has kept him out of court since March last year.
Chiluba has been undergoing treatment in South Africa since last year when his condition worsened and his doctors described his heart problem as ”life threatening”.
Chiluba ruled Zambia for 10 years until 2001 when he retired from politics and hand-picked his own successor, President Levy Mwanawasa, who turned against him and accused him of grand graft. — Sapa-AFP