Zambia frees outspoken opposition leader
2013-01-09 15:24
Lusaka - A Zambian court freed outspoken opposition leader
Nevers Mumba on Wednesday, a day after his arrest for graft allegedly committed
more than two years ago when he was the country's ambassador to Canada.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and the magistrate
court let him go on a 30 000 kwacha ($5 700) bail.
Now the leader of the largest faction of the former ruling
party, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, Mumba was Zambia's envoy to
Canada between 2009 and 2011.
His party lost power to President Michael Sata's Patriotic
Front in 2011.
He is accused of awarding US $34 450 worth of contracts for
the renovation of the ambassador's residence without following proper
procedure.
He is also accused of failing to comply with proper
procedure when he received and disbursed a donation of more than $122 000,
given to the Zambian government by the world's top gold producer Barrick Gold
Corporation.
Dozens of his party's supporters swarmed a small magistrate
court in the capital Lusaka. Anti-riot police battled scores of others that
tried to force their way into the packed court room.
