Chiluba's wife cleared of graft
2007-08-24 13:27
Lusaka - The wife of Zambia's ex-president Frederick Chiluba was cleared on Friday of receiving cash and property stolen by her husband after prosecutors withdrew the charges, said her spokesperson.
Regina Chiluba, who was on trial in her hometown of Ndola, about 400km north of Lusaka, was discharged by magistrates as the court was about to rule on whether she had a case to answer.
Emmanuel Mwamba, Chiluba's spokesperson who accompanied her to court, said: "Mrs Chiluba has been discharged after the prosecution applied to discontinue the case."
Regina, who was Chiluba's mistress when he ruled Zambia for ten years, was arrested and charged with an offence of receiving stolen funds and property, which she received from Chiluba.
Chiluba married her several months after he retired from office in 2001 and divorced his wife of 33 years, Vera, a current deputy minister of tourism in the government of President Levy Mwanawasa.
The former president was on trial for theft of $500 000 he allegedly pocketed from state coffers though he had consistently denied the charges, saying they were politically-motivated.