Zambia’s former President Chiluba dismisses Katele’s conviction as witch-hunt.

By John Chola – 31/05/2010

Zambia’s former President Frederick Chiluba says all the corruption allegations against him and his former officials are a political witch-hunt.

Chiluba has charged that courts in Zambia are just being used to achieve this political goal by his enemies.

However, many political activists and non governmental organizations say the conviction of Chiluba’s former Finance Minister who is also ruling MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba and three others is evidence that the former president is guilty.

Chiluba, speaking through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, said the fact that Kalumba and others have appealed mean that they are still contending their innocence.“Dr Chiluba has stated that all these corruption allegations against him and his officials were a political witch-hunt against him and his officials. They were never founded on corruption allegations, they were founded in politics not in corruption allegations,” Mwamba said.

Chiluba has cried foul that his administration did not see the same vigour to investigate corruption allegations in first republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s government as well as late Levy Mwanawasa’s government.

Citizen Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda says: “The conviction of Katele and the group is a clear evidence that Chiluba should have been convicted”.
He said: “It’s enough evidence to the public and a lay person that Dr. Chiluba should have been convicted and that he is guilty.”

Chiluba has been acquitted of looting public funds while in office.

On Wednesday, a Lusaka magistrate’s court handed Kalumba, former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, defunct Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL) directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu five-year sentences each for corruption.

The court also jailed former finance ministry chief economist Bede Mphande, former finance ministry director of budget Borniface Nonde and former secretary to the treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene for five years but suspended for 24 months. Kalumba, Chibanda, Chungu and Kabwe were on Friday granted K500 million bail each pending appeal.

Ends