over 15 million US dollars spent by govt on Chiluba case

OVER 15 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS WAS SPENT BY GOVERNMENT IN THE LONDON COURT CASE INVOLVING THE SECOND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT DR FREDRICK CHILUBA.

JUSTICE DEPUTY MINISTER TODD CHILEMBO EXPLAINED THAT GOVERNMENT INCURED OVER 13 MILLION DOLLARS IN FOREIGN AND LOCAL LEGAL FEES WHILE A TOTAL OF OVER 305 MILLION KWACHA WAS USED TO COVER FOR THE TRAVEL COST FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SUPPORT STAFF.

MR CHILEMBO STATED THAT MOST OF THE TRAVELS WHERE MADE BY THE TASKFORCE OFFICERS BUT WERE FORFEITED BY THE DONORS.

AND THE VICE PRESIDENT GOERGE KUNDA WHO IS ALSO JUSTICE MINISTER HAS DISCLOSED THAT ASSETS FROM DEFENDANTS LIKE ANTHONY SHASONGA AND OTHER FOREIGN COMPANIES HAVE SINCE BEEN SEIZED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SAME CASE.

MR KUNDA HOWEVER SAID GOVERNMENT WILL NOT APPEAL THE JUDGEMENT AS THIS WILL BE AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE JUDGEMENT THAT WAS PASSED IN THE LONDON HIGH COURT IS VALID AND INFORCEABLE OUTSIDER THE BORDERS OF ZAMBIA BUT IS NOT REGISTRABLE IN THE LOCAL JUDICAL SYSTEM.

MR KUNDA FURTHER CALLED ON ZAMBIANS TO ACCEPT THE DECISION BY LOCAL COURT STATING THAT GOVERNMENT WILL NOT AT ANYTIME APPEAL THE JUDGEMNT.

MEANWHILE, MR KUNDA HAS CALLED ON ZAMBIANS TO ACCEPT THE JUDGMENT THAT WAS HANDED ON KONKOLA COPPER MINES YESTERDAY BY THE CHINGOLA MAGISTRATE COURT WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS FAIR.

KCM HAD BEEN SUED ON ALLEGATIONS THAT ON UNKNOWN DATES BUT BETWEEN 29^TH AND 31^ST OCTOBER 2010, THE COMPANY POLLUTED THE KAFUE RIVE AND FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF DISCHARGE OF EFFLUENT INTO THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT.

AND YESTERDAY, KCM APPEARED IN THE CHINGOLA MAGISTRATE COURT OVER THE MATTER AND WAS FOUND WITH A CASE TO ANSWER AND THE MAGISTRATE CHARGED THE COMPANY WITH FOUR COUNTS IN WHICH THEY PLEADED GUILTY.

THE MAGISTRATE COURT ORDERED KCM TO PAY ON THE FIRST COUNT 10.8 MILLION KWACHA, ON THE SECOND ANOTHER 10.8 MILLION KWACHA AND THIRD COUNT 470,000 KWACHA AND FOURTH COUNT 100,000 KWACHA CULMINATING TO A TOTAL SUM OF ABOUT 22 MILLION 170 THOUSAND KWACHA WHICH THE COMPANY MUST PAY ON THE 28^TH OF NOVEMBER.
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