Former President FTJ Chiluba, today lashed out at a London high court judge who found him guilty of stealing US $46 million , calling him a “racistâ€. He accused Zambian and British leaders of conspiring to “crucify” him.
At an emotional press conference, Chiluba protested his innocence.
Dressed in his trade mark tailor-made suit, Chiluba told reporters that he would not accept the judgment made by Judge Peter Smith last week, claiming it was predetermined by the British government.
“At best, this judgment is a mere political statement made by a man who represents a vicious and violent system with inherent prejudices and hatred against Africa,†Chiluba said at a news conference.
“The language he uses is racist, abusive, demeaning and clearly unbecoming of a high court judge,†he said.
“I find this judgement totally unacceptable and I therefore reject it.â€
“Judge Smith’s obsession with my clothes is obscene. Is not the living and other expenses of the president borne by the state?†Chiluba asked.
He explained that part of the funds he allegedly stole was in fact from a private reserve of money made up of donations from various people and put in a secret service account for security reasons.
“More than nine million dollars came from private sources,†Chiluba said.
Chiluba gave no indication of whether he will appeal the ruling.
Chiluba said that Mwanawasa had “betrayed the national trust,” by pursuing legal action in a foreign court. Some criminal charges remain pending in Zambian courts.
The government said it was vindicated by the ruling. “Public service is about service, not about the aggrandizement of wealth,” Minister of Information and Broadcasting Mike Mulongoti told The Associated Press. “The judge has vindicated us. Forty-six million dollars, for a country like Zambia, is a lot of money. … The outcome has profound implications.”
If Chiluba does not pay, the government could then begin the process of seizing his assets, said Stephen Lungu, vice president of the Law Association of Zambia. The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has said the judgement handed would be enforced in Zambia.
“If he (Chiluba) fails to satisfy the judgment, he can be declared bankrupt,†LAZ vice president Stephen Lungu warned.
“Nothing will stop the enforcement of a foreign judgment because of the reciprocal agreements that exist between the two jurisdictions,†Lungu said.
Chiluba officially earned about 100,000 dollars during his time in power, yet he managed to pay the exclusive Basile clothes boutique in Switzerland 1.2 million dollars — all with money stolen from the Republic of Zambia, according to the British court.
Zambian prosecutors, who pursued the case in British courts because some of the money was laundered through British banks, are in the process of entering the judgment with the Zambian High Court, which is expected to accept and enforce it. Chiluba will then have 14 days to pay back the funds.