NEWS SCAN

The Zambian Police  arrested two leaders of the United Party for National Development  ,the main opposition party. Hakainde Hichilema, president of UPND, and his deputy Geoffrey Mwamba were arrested for suspicions of sedition in part due to their claims that the election that re-elected President Edgar Lungu in August was fraudulent The two opposition leaders were due to be charged Thursday.

Zambia’s presidency has been surrounded by controversy in recent years. Last month the Zambia Supreme Court denied an application by UPND to stop the inauguration of Lungu after allegations of fraud  In 2013 Zambian authorities arrested  former president Rupiah Banda on allegations that he misappropriated over USD $11 million during his three-year tenure in office. Zambia’s Supreme Court in 2010 acquitted Regina Chiluba, the wife of former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba, of charges that she accepted stolen property during the years of her husband’s administration. Prior to his wife’s acquittal, former president Chiluba was acquitted in 2009 of charges of stealing money from the country’s treasury while in office from 1991-2001. He was ordered to stand trial on the corruption charges in February 2008.

As carried in JURIST on 7.10.16