Chiluba to pay US$58 m in graft row

LUSAKA – Zambia’s former president, Frederick Chiluba, has been ordered to pay back $58 million allegedly stolen while in office in what has been called a landmark strike against official corruption in Africa.

Zambia’s Attorney-General Mumba Malila said London High Court Judge Peter Smith had on Thursday increased the penalty on Chiluba from an original order of $41 million after assessing the interest and legal costs incurred in the court process. “The court ruled that the former president should also be charged compound interest because he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud Zambia,” Malila told Reuters on Friday.Zambia lodged the civil case in the British court in hopes of recovering properties allegedly purchased with stolen funds and owned by Chiluba and 19 other defendants in Britain and other European countries.Chiluba has not been convicted on criminal charges of stealing the funds.A Zambian court last month ordered Chiluba to stand trial on separate charges of stealing $488 000 while in ruling the southern African nation from 1991-2001.That trial is now set to begin on August 14.Smith made his original $41 million ruling against Chiluba on May 4 ordering Chiluba and his associates to pay 85 per cent of funds allegedly stolen from Zambia’s national treasury within 14 days.But Chiluba rejected the ruling as ‘trash’ and said the British court had no jurisdiction over Zambian matters.Malila said the Zambian government would register the London High Court judgement in Zambia early this week – effectively making it the first time a former African leader has been held personally liable for money looted while in power.Nampa-Reuters”The court ruled that the former president should also be charged compound interest because he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud Zambia,” Malila told Reuters on Friday.Zambia lodged the civil case in the British court in hopes of recovering properties allegedly purchased with stolen funds and owned by Chiluba and 19 other defendants in Britain and other European countries.Chiluba has not been convicted on criminal charges of stealing the funds.A Zambian court last month ordered Chiluba to stand trial on separate charges of stealing $488 000 while in ruling the southern African nation from 1991-2001.That trial is now set to begin on August 14.Smith made his original $41 million ruling against Chiluba on May 4 ordering Chiluba and his associates to pay 85 per cent of funds allegedly stolen from Zambia’s national treasury within 14 days.But Chiluba rejected the ruling as ‘trash’ and said the British court had no jurisdiction over Zambian matters.Malila said the Zambian government would register the London High Court judgement in Zambia early this week – effectively making it the first time a former African leader has been held personally liable for money looted while in power.Nampa-Reuters