afrol News, 14 August - The court in Lusaka will only make the verdict on the case against former Zambian president, Frederick Chiluba on Monday.

Mr Chiluba faces up to five years in prison is found guilty on corruption charges against him, which involve over half a million US dollars in public funds, he is alleged to have stolen while in power. He has continually denied the charges.

Mr Chiluba is accused of stealing half a million dollars in public funds during his 10-year presidency, which ended in 2001. He denies the charges.

The court was expected to pass the final verdict today in a case that has been dragging since Mr Chiluba's immunity from prosecution was lifted in 2003 by the late president Levy Mwananasa, who died last year.

Mr Chiluba’s wife, Regina, was given a three and a half jail sentence, in a separate charge, in March this year, for receiving stolen state funds. She is however appealing the sentence.

Reports from Lusaka have said that the Zambian High Court is also considering whether to enforce the verdict passed two years ago, by the High Court in Britain that found Mr Chiluba guilty of defrauding his government of millions of dollars using London-based bank accounts.

The former president had dismissed the judgement as racist.

Mr Chiluba was Zambian president for two terms, having taken over in the return to multi-party democracy in 1991, in the former British colony.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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