Zambia's Parliament Lifts Immunity of Former President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Zambia's Parliament Lifts Immunity of Former President

Zambia's National Assembly, the country's parliament, Tuesday lifted former president Fredrick Chiluba's immunity so he could be arrested and face prosecution on corruption charges.

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Zambia's National Assembly, the country's parliament, Tuesday lifted former president Fredrick Chiluba's immunity so he could be arrested and face prosecution on corruption charges.

Announcing the resolve of parliament arrived at by a vote-of-voice resolution, Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa said 140 members of parliament unanimously voted to have Chiluba's immunity removed.

He said that in accordance with Article 43 and Sub-Article 3 ofthe country's constitution, the action means that Chiluba may now be charged in his personal capacity with criminal offenses he might have committed during his 10-year tenure of office.

Vice-President Enoch Kavindele, who moved the motion, told parliament the action to lift the immunity has not been taken in bad faith, but is meant to enable Chiluba to exonerate him from charges leveled against him.

He said the move was inevitable, as the allegations leveled against Chiluba demanded that the due process of the law takes itscourse because Chiluba's name would remain tarnished if the courtsdid not give the final word on the allegations.

Kavindele, who is also leader of government business in parliament, further presented documents which were last week not presented before parliament by President Levy Mwanawasa due to themissing keys at the Ministry of Finance, where the documents were kept.

The documents catalogue more revelations of corruption and abuse of office, including the diversion of seven million US dollars of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) funds into dubious arms deal with Katebe Katoto, alias Raphel Soliano, a Congolese rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The unprecedented landmark decision had earlier stalled as the members of parliament entangled themselves in the technicalities of how the matter was to be handled.

However, Agriculture Minister Mudia Sikatana stepped in to givedirection and expedited the proceedings.

Sikatana, who is a lawyer by profession, untangled the legal jargon, leading Vice-President Enoch Kavindele to present the motion and bring the matter to the unprecedented conclusive end.

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