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I wonder how As more foreign donors push for accountability of heir donations, more and
more past thieving African leader will end up in courts pf laws. The
Post (
Amos
Malupenga, Sheikh Chifuwe And FORMER
president Frederick Chiluba was yesterday arrested
for theft of K19 billion from public funds. Police
sources disclosed that Chiluba is jointly charged
with former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu while on
other counts he is jointly charged with former Zambia National Commercial Bank
managing director Samuel Musonda, his deputy George Mwambazi, former secretary to the treasury James Mtonga, Ministry of Finance chief economist Bede Mpande and former
intelligence deputy director general Yotam Zulu. They are all charged with theft by public servant.
Chiluba and Chungu
are alleged to have on The
duo are further alleged to have stolen US $125,000 on cheque
number 6119 on June 30, 1998 while on December 22 the same year they are
alleged to have stolen US $148,030 cash. This
total of US $323,000 (about K1.6 billion), according to police sources, relates
to money used to pay for former presidential affairs minister Eric Silwamba and former legal affairs minister Vincent Malambo's houses in Roma township and Kabulonga,
respectively who are not charged with him. Chiluba and Chungu
are further alleged to have used a total of K335 million from government
coffers towards the purchase of Manchinchi Bay in Siavonga on behalf of the late local government minister
Bennie Mwiinga. In the
other counts, Chiluba is alleged to have stolen a
total of K17 billion whilst acting together with Samuel Musonda,
Chungu, James Mtonga,
George Mwambazi, Bede Mpande and Yotam Zulu and others
unknown. And Chiluba was yesterday released on bail after appearing
before magistrate Chinyama in the afternoon. This followed his arrest at Woodlands Police Station. Public
prosecutor John Katongo, in asking for an
adjournment, told the court that Chiluba was
appearing alone because the other accused persons who are jointly charged with
him were advised to go to court on March 3. Katongo said for that matter, Chiluba's case should just be mentioned as he awaited the
consolidation of the indictment next Monday. Chiluba's lawyers - John Sangwa and Robert Simeza immediately
applied for bail. Sangwa
said the prosecution did not object as long as Chiluba
surrendered his passport, which was not a problem. Magistrate
Chinyama said there been no objection from the
prosecution, he was granting Chiluba a K500 million
bail in his own recognisance with two working
sureties in the like sum on the same condition. The
same conditions applied on the second indictment where Chiluba
is jointly charged with seven others. Former
information minister Vernon Mwaanga, former science
and technology minister Valentine Kayope, Chiluba's personal doctor Dr. Justine Kangwa,
his administrative secretary Mikatazo Wakumelo, Emmanuel Mwamba, and
former State House deputy minister Edward Chisha
signed as sureties for Chiluba. A
total of K3 billion for Chiluba and all his sureties
can only be paid if he jumps bail. And
a source close to Chiluba said charges against Chiluba must be relevant to offences he committed in his
personal capacity for personal interests in accordance with the lifting of the
immunity. Meanwhile,
Chiluba's aunt - Joyce Chatupa
Musuka yesterday said they were bitter as a family. Reacting
to the arrest of Chiluba, Musuka
said family members were disappointed and distressed by the development. "We
are disappointed and we are bitter, we have never been told anything," Musuka said. "We are very
disappointed and disgusted." Musuka said President Levy Mwanawasa should have had the courtesy to ask Chiluba about his suspicions of plunder of national
resources instead of working hard to have him arrested and humiliated. She
said President Mwanawasa was only determined to fix Chiluba. "If
he finds that our son is not giving him proper answers he could have told the
nation that 'I called my brother and this what we discussed and he is not giving
me the right things', and then he would have said 'let's take him to the court
of law', not the way he has done it," she said. Musuka said the family was
terribly shocked at the arrest of Chiluba. "We
don't know what crime our son has committed, there is no justice in this
country, only one person is ordering people what to do," she said. "He (President Mwanawasa)
said this country was going to be of laws and not of men but the way we see it,
he is the only one doing everything." Musuka said the only crime Chiluba committed was nominating Mwanawasa
to contest the 2001 presidential elections on an MMD ticket. She
said the family was bothered that they all campaigned hard for President Mwanawasa who does not seem to show appreciation. "We
are so shocked that this is a 'thank you' our son should get from Mwanawasa. We never slept, we were
campaigning day and night and he went through," Musuka
said. "We are now running around, taking our son
in dirty places, is this the justice we should get?" Musuka warned President Mwanawasa against taking Zambians for granted saying they
were not idiots and were capable of distinguishing right things from wrong
ones. She
expressed confidence that "history will repeat itself". Earlier
at Chiluba's Kabulonga
residence, Nigerian High Commissioner Abironke Adefope paid a courtesy call on him few minutes before the
Task Force led by Robert Nyumbu picked him up around
12: 20 hours. Adefope held a 30 minutes private
talk with Chiluba before he was driven out to
Woodlands Police Station by his lawyer John Sangwa. Others
who accompanied Chiluba included his wife A
sizeable crowd gathered at the police station to have a glimpse of Chiluba. Chiluba was formerly arrested
after warn and caution statements were recorder from him for about two hours. Soon
after his arrest, Chiluba was driven to Chikwa court in a police vehicle.
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