Former president Frederick Chiluba may stand trial for corruption by video link due to ill health, a spokesman for the ex-leader said on Friday.

Chiluba, who is due to travel to South Africa for medical treatment, has been told by a Zambian court to return home by August 13 to resume his protracted trial the next day, spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba said.

Mwamba said Chiluba was due to inform the court whether he would stand trial by video link after Zambian doctors advised that he was too ill to be present in person.

“Dr Chiluba will inform his lawyers what they should tell the court after the court gave him an option to stand trial by video link or to be present in court whatever the circumstances,” Mwamba told Reuters.

Chiluba’s graft trial involving allegations of theft of $488,000 in Treasury funds during his decade-long rule which ended in 2001 has created major controversy between state prosecutors and his lawyers.

Prosecutors want the former president to stand trial despite having a cardiac problem, while Chiluba and his lawyers had earlier argued that he cannot be forced to appear via video link as it would impinge on his right to be physically present in court.

Last week, doctors advised him to seek immediate medical treatment in South Africa after he became weaker, but the court only allowed him to travel on Friday following earlier objections from state prosecutors.

Chiluba is simultaneously fighting a London court judgement which ordered him to pay back $58 million it said he stole from the national Treasury in a civil case Zambian authorities lodged in Britain.

Chiluba has argued that the British case was essentially fraudulent and promoted by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa in an attempt to make a point about graft in Africa.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested and jointly charged former prisons commissioner, Jethro Mumbuwa and two others for money laundering offences involving over K500 million.

Mr Mumbuwa, 60, a retiree of house number17 Jasmine street in Luangwa township in
Kabwe, Margaret Mwale, 45, an accountant at the Ministry of Local Government
residing at plot number 2666, Chilenje South in Lusaka and Bernadette Kaimbi, 41, a
businesswoman of plot number 9 Makeni, Lusaka, have been arrested for forgery,
uttering of false documents, obtaining money by false pretences and money
laundering.

DEC Public Relations and Press Liaison officer, Rosten Chulu disclosed this in a
statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Chulu said  the trio while  acting together with some other unknown persons on
dates unknown, but between 1st January, 2001 and 31st December 2006, forged local
purchase order numbers worth K321,670,000 and K260,000,000 respectively by
purporting to have supplied various foodstuffs to the Zambia Army.

He said an ordnance directorate amounting to K581, 670, 000 was awarded in favour of
Mumjeka enterprises which is owned by Mr. Mumbuwa.

Mr Chulu said the trio were arrested and formerly charged on  6th July, 2007 and
have since been released on police bond waiting court appearance.

Meanwhile, the DEC has in various parts of the country arrested 23 Zambians for
trafficking in psychotropic substances weighing more than 30 kgs.

Mr Chulu said the Commission arrested Rowes Chililamuzi of Sibumbe village in
Mazabuka for trafficking in 15.2 kg of cannabis.

Others arrested in the same village include Keroni Sana, 28, for trafficking in 2 kg
of cannabis and seeds, Bruce Sana, 43, for trafficking in 1.1 kg of cannabis and
Oscar Hachibola, 22, for trafficking in 1.22 kg of cannabis and seeds.

In Lusaka, Arthur Kayumba, 23, of Miller’s farm in Lilayi was arrested for
trafficking in 37grams of cannabis and Dickson Tembo Phiri of Mwavi, Luangwa, for
trafficking in 142grams of cannabis.

Mr Chulu added that in Eastern Province, the DEC has arrested Henry Mwanza,30, of
Enock village for trafficking in 9.2 kg of cannabis and for being in possession of a
muzzle loader gun.

Mr Chulu sid Elias Phiri, 38, a peasant farmer of Masengu has also been arrested for
unlawful cultivation and trafficking in cannabis weiging 3.010 kg, Ignatius Maseko,
23, of Sandwe village for trafficking in cannabis weighing 98grams and Davie News
Banda for trafficking in 0. 9 grams of cannabis.

In Northern province, the DEC has arrested and jointly charged Danny Sikazwe,18, a
charcoal burner of Mushika village, Nickson Mazimba, 36, a peasant farmer of
Malwanga area and Jeff Chisela,18, a charcoal burner of Mushika village for
trafficking in 300 g of cannabis.

And in North-Western province, the Commission has arrested Benson Nalumino,32, a
peasant farmer of Mpindi area for trafficking in 6.5kg of cannabis and Oscar
Kasweka, 25, of Kayenge area for trafficking in 600g of cannabis.

In Luapula province, the DEC arrested Kelvin Mwansa, 21, Mathews Musele, 25, Ernest
Mukondo, 24, Jackson Chulu, 33, Daniel Mwenya, 22, John Zulu, 32, Pephius Musesha,
22, and Idah Mutale, 20, all of Kasote village in Chiende district for trafficking
in a total of 2.128 kg of cannabis.

All the suspects will appear in court soon.

Mr Chulu has since cautioned Zambians to desist from engaging in illicit drug
trafficking, cultivation and money laundering.

The OASIS forum and the Collaborative Group on the Constitution (CGC)  today led hundreds of demonstrators to parliament to present a petition on the constitution making process.

Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) Executive Director Father Joe Komakoma whose
organisation is in the OASIS forum said the demonstration was part of the various
activities lined up after the red ribbon campaign was launched.

He said this is also in order to bring the issue before parliamentarians as they
want the constitution making process addressed in the House.

Fr. Samasumo added that the OASIS forum is of the view that the new constitution
proceeds on the basis of recommendations made to the Mungomba led Constitution
Review Commission (CRC).

He said politicians should not hijack the constitution making process but should
leave the process to the people of Zambia.

Fr. Samasumo however called on parliamentarians to ensure that they start the
process for a people driven constitution through a constituency assembly.

And Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD)
president Lee Habasonda said the OASIS Forum wants parliament to push for a
constituent assembly as a mode of adopting the constitution.

Mr. Habasonda noted that once the final document of the constitution is ready
through the constituent assembly, it will have to get the peoples approval unlike
the recently suggested constitutional  conference which will have to get parliaments
approval.

He expressed fear that if parliament is left to endorse the constitution, the
document may be manipulated by politicians.

Mr. Habasonda however said the OASIS forum has no quarrel with the name by which the mode of adoption is called but its endorsement by parliament if it is adopted
through the constitution conference. 
Meanwhile, Women for Change executive director Emily Sikazwe has accused the
government of wanting to give Zambians what she described as a bad constitution.

And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka asked government to listen to the wishes of the masses in the country.

Mr. Lifuka charged that politicians have for a long time taken the people of Zambia
for granted adding that  people are now focused on having a new constitution that
will help improve their lives.

He said Zambians will not accept piecemeal constitutional amendments.

And receiving the petition on behalf of parliamentarians, Kabwata Member of
parliament Given Lubinda promised the demonstrators that parliament will handle the
matter expeditiously.

He said members of parliament are committed to representing the peoples wishes and
views in parliament.

Mr. Lubinda said parliamentarians will unite to ensure that Zambians give themselves
a constitution that will stand the taste of time.

The Newly launched  Constitution Referendum Alliance says it will not support calls by some  Non Governmental Organisations to hold protests over the Government constitutional roadmap during the forthcoming SADC Heads of state and Government summit in Lusaka next month.

Constitution Referendum Alliance member Muyunda Ililonga said it would be premature
to hold protests over the mode of adopting the Constitution when Government and
other Stakeholders were still exploring ways of of how to resolve the issue.

Mr Ililonga who is also Zambia Consumer Association of Zambia (ZACA)  President said
the issue of adopting a new Constitution was a National matter which NGO’s should
not expose to foreign states.

Mr Ililonga who was speaking during the launch of the Alliance at Kitwe’s Edinburgh
Hotel today, said the voice of reason must prevail among the members of the non
governmental organisations opposed to the government mode of adopting the new
constitution.

And Speaking earlier at the same function, Constitution Alliance Coordinator Peter
Sinkamba   appealed to Government to abandon its roadmap of adopting the
constitution through the Constituenal Conference as it was an undemocratic way of
enacting the  Constitution.

Mr Sinkamba who is also Citizens for a Better Environment  (CBE) Executive Director
said the route of adopting the Constitution that Government had taken was
undemocratic as it would not allow the Zambian people to have an input in the
adoption of the new constitution.

He said his organisation believed that the only way of adopting the constitution was
to go through the Referendum as all Zambians would have an opportunity to
participate in the exercise.

Mr Sinkamba disclosed that the Alliance would visit schools and Institutions of
higher learning so that they could petition Government on its decision to enact the
Constitution through the Constitutional Conference.

The Local Government Association of Zambia is concerned at delays to implement the Decentralization Policy, adopted four years ago.

The association has called on the central government to speed up the implementation of the decentralization process, to strengthen councils.

In resolutions read by Mpongwe District Council Secretary Moses Kamocha at the 51st LGAZ Annual Conference in Livingstone, the association also called on the Ministry of Local Government to mount sensitization programmes.

And the delegates resolved that the National Housing Bonds Trust model of financing should be accepted in principle as long as local authorities access the profits of the programme and own the houses to be constructed.

The consultative process on the draft 2007 National Constitution conference bill has started.

Justice Minister George Kunda released the draft bill to the Zambia Centre for Inter party Dialogue (ZCID), the oasis forum and the constitutional awareness network for comments on the draft document.

Mr. Kunda urged political parties under the ZCID, the civil society and Church organisations to submit their comments to him before Tuesday July 24.

He said the comments on the draft bill will be used for government consideration on the on-going constitutional reform process.

This is according to a statement issued to ZNBC in Lusaka.

Mr. Kunda said the bill will then be published in the government gazette after considering the comments to the given by various stakeholders.

He said interested members of the public, the Church and civil society groups will be invited as per parliamentary practice to make submissions and representations to the relevant parliamentary committees to deal with the bill.