A Zambian court ordered former president Frederick Chiluba on Thursday to stand trial on corruption charges, rejecting his lawyers’ arguments that he was too ill to be prosecuted.
”I am of the view that we should proceed with this matter to help all the other parties involved and also considering the period of time it has taken since the matter was last heard,” magistrate Jones Chinyama said in a ruling issued in Lusaka.
Chiluba (64), who suffers from a heart condition, is accused of stealing $488 000 in state funds while ruling the Southern African nation from 1991 to 2001. His trial has been stalled since May 2006 due to concerns about his health.
The court said Chiluba’s trial should go ahead after receiving a recommendation from doctors who evaluated him after he was admitted to a Lusaka hospital last week. Chiluba, who had collapsed at home, was discharged on Tuesday.
Doctors have advised Chiluba to return to hospital for treatment as well as travel to South Africa for a medical review within the next month, according to a spokesperson for the former Zambian leader.
Chiluba has been receiving treatment at a Johannesburg clinic since last year.
The charges against him stem from an anti-corruption campaign launched by his successor, President Levy Mwanawasa. Chiluba has described the case against him as a political witch-hunt. — Reuters