Zambia's Chiluba guilty of graft

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Last Updated: Friday, 4 May 2007, 12:53 GMT 13:53 UK

Zambia's Chiluba guilty of graft

Zambia's ex-President Frederick Chiluba has been found guilty
of stealing $46m (£23m) of public money by a UK court.

The judge said that Zambians should know that when he appeared
wearing his trademark designer clothes, they were paid for with
stolen money.

Mr Chiluba's spokesman told a Zambian newspaper that the ex-leader
did not accept the court's jurisdiction.

Mr Chiluba was not in the London High Court but the ruling could
lead to the seizure of his assets.

The civil case was brought on behalf of the Zambian attorney
general.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6624547.stm

---

Source: The Guardian

2pm update
Sharp-dressing ex-Zambian president stole £23m

James Sturcke and agencies
Friday May 4, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The former Zambian president, Frederick Chiluba, and four of his senior
aides conspired to rob their country's government and people of £23m,
the high court in London ruled today.

In a decision of major importance for the fight against corruption in
Africa, a judge held that Dr Chiluba took part in two separate
conspiracies to siphon off the money.

Part of his ill-gotten gains was laundered through two London law firms,
Meer Care & Desai and Cave Malik & Co, who were part of the conspiracy.

In a graphic and telling example of the corruption involved, Mr Justice
Peter Smith said Dr Chiluba, president between 1991 and 2001, had a
worldwide reputation as a "smart and expensive dresser".

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2072684,00.html

[dave_p]

1. Good riddance

This was the West's great democratic hope for Zambia. One of his government's first actions was to exclude the respected ex-President Kaunda from ever standing again.

I said it in 1991, and I'm glad to see my opinion vindicated though I regret Zambia's lost 15 years: What a piece of crap.

This is the kind of person who all-too often cobbles together "free-market" alternatives to development-minded governments. Don't trust them.