Chiluba's institute to be sold
2005-09-13 22:14
Lusaka - Zambia's supreme court on Tuesday ordered that former president Frederick Chiluba's institute be sold to cover bills from constructors and other firms that supplied building materials.
The former president began building the Frederick Chiluba Institute for Democracy and Industrial Relations when he was head of state but construction had yet to be completed when he left office in 2001.
Several companies took Chiluba to court, claiming more than $2m in unpaid bills for work done on the construction of the building that now stands, almost finished, in the upmarket area in Lusaka.
Supreme court judges Peter Chitengi and Dennis Chirwa ordered the sale to pay about 14 firms that provided different services toward the construction of the Chiluba institute.
"It will be injustice if the institute is not sold to recover the monies to pay debts," Chirwa said.
Chiluba had appealed to the supreme court against the sale of his property, saying that most firms claiming payments had not supplied any materials.
The ex-leader also disputed the claims against him, saying there had not been any proper verification of the figures which he said were either inflated or false.
Chiluba, who succeeded Zambia's founding president Kenneth Kaunda in 1991, is currently facing charges of corruption and theft of state funds totalling $488 000, which he allegedly spirited away with help from aides.