 Former Zambian president faces jail in unprecedented corruption trial
Former Zambian president faces jail in unprecedented corruption trial
From The Guardian (UK), 13 August
David Smith, Africa correspondent
A former president of Zambia faces jail tomorrow [now expected on
Monday] after an unprecedented criminal trial that should send a shiver
down the spines of once untouchable autocrats in Africa. A verdict is
expected in the case against Frederick Chiluba, accused of "plundering
the national economy" during his decade-long rule in the southern
African state. He has already lost a civil court case that found he
laundered around $50m from his impoverished people to help fund lavish
spending on designer clothes and shoes. If, as expected, he is found
guilty in Lusaka tomorrow on a criminal charge of stealing $500,000,
Chiluba could face at least five years in jail. Legal experts believe
the trial is the first of its kind in which an African leader has been
prosecuted for corruption in his own country, and could set a precedent
for bringing other so-called "big men" to justice. "Today's dictator
could be tomorrow's defendant," said Michael Sullivan QC, who led the
successful civil action against Chiluba at the high court in London two
years ago. "Politicians of all sorts are forever talking about the need
to fight corruption; here is an historic example of the fight in
action. It is widely believed that this trial will have great
repercussions for the rest of Africa."
Chiluba, president between 1991 and 2001, was effectively the author of
his own downfall when he anointed his successor, Levy Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa smashed any sense of cosy patronage by launching an
anti-corruption drive that probed Chiluba's time in office. The
outspoken Mwanawasa also strongly criticised Robert Mugabe, the
president of neighbouring Zimbabwe. Sullivan said: "He [Mwanawasa] was
no puppet. He pursued the case as a lawyer, not for political reasons.
He had a genuine feeling for the plight of his people." Chiluba never
forgave his successor, who died last year, and told the court in a
statement: "The presidency in Africa is not cheap. People die to secure
the presidency. But here was Mr Mwanawasa, who received it on a silver
platter from my hands. He stabbed me in the back badly. I still bleed."
One of the most striking details to emerge from the civil case in
London was Chiluba's extravagant taste in clothes. Eleven metal trunks
were discovered in a warehouse containing designer suits, monogrammed
shirts, ties, silk pyjamas and dressing gowns and more than a hundred
pairs of shoes, many in lurid colours and bearing Chiluba's initials in
brass. Each size-six pair had heels nearly 2in high - the former
president stands just over 5ft tall. Chiluba spent more than $500,000
in a single shop, Boutique Basile, in Geneva, the high court concluded
in the 2007 case brought by Zambia's attorney-general. Antonio Basile,
the shop's owner, testified in a separate trial last year that payment
for the clothes sometimes arrived in suitcases full of cash.
Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than
two-thirds of the population living on less than $1 a day. Chiluba, a
former bus conductor and trade union leader before ending the 27-year
socialist rule of Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's first president, has
vehemently denied the allegations, insisting he has been the victim of
a political witch-hunt. His wife, Regina, was convicted on corruption
charges in March and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. His
own trial has dragged on for six years due to procedural delays and his
ill health. Maxwell Nkole, the leader of the anti-corruption task force
pursuing the case, said: "Zambians are watching anxiously. They have
waited too long to have this result." Nkole said he hoped the example
would be followed elsewhere. "Everybody is paying attention to what is
going on in Zambia. Hopefully other countries will have the courage to
tackle high-level corruption. I think this sets a precedent." Jon
Elliott, Africa advocacy director of the pressure group Human Rights
Watch, said: "The Chiluba trial now sends a strong signal to future
leaders in Zambia and the region that they may be held accountable for
crimes they commit when in office. So it is crucial that this trial
sets the right precedent by being seen to be fair and just." He added:
"But there is still work to be done in Zambia: allegations that the
government is targeting journalists that criticise its record cause
concern. Freedom of expression is also a key to effective
accountability."
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