20110618
Xinhua
LUSAKA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Former Zambian president Fredreick Chiluba died Saturday at the age of 68.


According to the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), Chiluba died at 0:05 a.m. on Saturday for a massive heart attack in the presence of his wife and doctor.

Chiluba started complaining of heart pains on Friday evening, ZNBC quoted Chiluba's spokesperson as saying.

The spokesman said that the doctor was called and attempted to save Chiluba's life but failed.

Chiluba, born on April 30, 1943, served as president of Zambia between November 1991 to January 2002.

Chiluba, a former Trade Union leader, succeeded first president Kenneth Kaunda in the 1991 election.

Though having won applauses within the southern African country, Chiluba was arraigned before the courts for alleged corruption by late president Levy Mwanawasa.

However, the former Zambian leader was cleared of all corruption charges in the Zambian court while a court in London ruled in May 2007 that he had defrauded the Zambian government funds using London-based bank accounts.

The Lusaka magistrate's court in August 2009 ruled that Chiluba was of no guilty of all charges against him. But the case has not yet been settled.