Ex-Zambia president makes appearance at graft trial

LUSAKA, Aug 14 (Reuters) Former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba made a brief appearance at his graft trial today before the hearing was adjourned for a day.

His lawyers said they needed more time to study the case, a spokesman for the former leader said.

Chiluba is accused of theft of 488,000 dollars in Treasury funds while he ruled the southern African country between 1991 and 2001. He appeared in court for the first time since May 2006.

Chiluba, who denies any wrongdoing, accuses his successor Levy Mwanawasa, who launched the southern African country's biggest anti-corruption crackdown in 2002, of political persecution.

Chiluba, who suffers from heart problems, rejected a proposal by the court and state prosecutors that he should follow it by a video link between his home and the court.

''Dr Chiluba said the video link is illegal and he did not want to promote an illegality and he will therefore be in court despite his condition, which is stable,'' Chiluba's spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba told Reuters.

The court said it would resume tomorrow.

In June, a British high court ordered Chiluba to pay back 58 million dollars in a separate case Zambian authorities brought in a London court to recover funds he is accused of stealing from the Treasury together with former senior government officials who served in his administration.

Reuters RSA DB2310