An interesting article published by the International Herald Tribune today discusses the fall of a former President of Zambia, which also sets a startling precedent – a “big man being brought low by corruption charges“. A verdict is expected on July the twentieth on charges that he stole $500,000.

As excerpted from the IHT:

He says he has done nothing illegal, but his many critics say his fall was brought on by the usual sins of the powerful — greed, vanity and pride…

Mr. Chiluba also faced a London civil court judgment in 2007 in a case brought by Zambia’s attorney general. He is still contesting the payment of damages.

In that case, Justice Peter Smith of the High Court ruled that the former president owed Zambia $57 million for, among other things, expenditures from a secret intelligence agency bank account in London that was “set up primarily to steal government money.”

“He should be ashamed,” Sir Peter wrote.

The judge concluded that though Mr. Chiluba had a salary of only about $10,000 a year during his decade in office, he spent more than $500,000 in a single shop, Boutique Basile, in Geneva.

“The president (unlike the emperor) needs to be clothed,” Sir Peter archly noted in his judgment.

 

Certainly more of this needs to be seen across many nations in the continent, with justice brought upon both past and in some cases present political leaders to instill notions of righting corruption in government and inciting foreign interest and investment.