A Lusaka magistrates court has released former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba's passport to enable him travel to South Africa for medical treatment, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) TV reported Thursday.

After his lawyers applied to the court for the release acting Lusaka High Court Deputy Registrar Jones Chinyama granted the application.

However the passport has been given to Chiluba on condition that he surrenders it to the court, upon his return.

His Spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba confirmed that the passport has been given and that the government has chartered an air ambulance to fly him to South Africa Friday morning.

Chiluba's passport was confiscated by the state as part of bail conditions set by the court, in a case in which he has been charged along with two others, of stealing over 400,000 U.S. dollars of public funds.

The former president has been appearing in court with former access financial services chief executive officer Faustin Kabwe and managing director Aaron Chungu.

Chiluba, who ruled Zambia between 1992 and 2002, has been under investigation of plundering of state properties since early 2003, when he was stripped of immunity by the parliament.

Source: Xinhua