20101207
africanews

Lusaka — Zambia's High Court yesterday acquitted former president Frederick Chiluba's wife Regina, on charges of allegedly receiving stolen properties and quashed a three-and-half-year jail term slapped on her by a junior court.

A three-member panel of judges said there was no proof that Mrs Chiluba's goods and cash, including a television set, were stolen or illegally obtained. After adjourning the judgment date three times, the trio - Judges Evans Hamaundu, Eddie Sikazwe and Christine Makungu - on Tuesday unanimously acquitted Mrs Chiluba on all the five counts.

This was after Mrs Chiluba, whom the ex-ruler married after leaving office in 2001, appealed against the Magistrates' court judgment in March 2009 that found her guilty of failing to account for stolen properties she allegedly received from Mr Chiluba, 67, and sentenced her to three-and-half years in prison.

She spent few days in prison before appealing to the High Court.

Shortly after her acquittal on Tuesday, Mrs Chiluba, accompanied by her husband, said she was happy and thanked God. Her supporters sung and danced in jubilation at the court premises in Lusaka.

Mr Chiluba - Zambia's president between 1991 and 2001 - was acquitted of corruption charges in August 2009 and a year later, judge Hamaundu refused to register a London High Court judgment of 2007 that found the ex-ruler and seven of his associates guilty of theft of $46 million and ordered them to repay $58 million to the Zambian Government.

Opposition political parties, civil society groupings and some Zambians accuse President Rupiah Banda's government of facilitating the acquittals of Mr and Mrs Chiluba, the allegations the government denies.