Former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba has denied allegations of corruption made by his successor, Levy Mwanawasa.

He said he was the victim of a witch-hunt and was being persecuted.

Addressing a press conference in Lusaka on Sunday, Mr Chiluba lamented: "Zambia is degenerating into an intolerant society where brother eats brother".

The president has acted as the prosecutor, jury and judge

Former president Frederick Chiluba

On Thursday, President Mwanawasa asked a special session of parliament to lift Mr Chiluba's immunity from prosecution and outlined a series of corruption allegations against him and members of his government.

Parliament is due to debate the lifting of Mr Chiluba's immunity on Tuesday.

Mr Mwanawasa was elected as president in December 2001 in a widely disputed election. His victory is being challenged by the opposition in the Supreme Court.

After his adoption as the presidential candidate for the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Mr Mwanawasa was seen by many observers as "a puppet" of Mr Chiluba.

However, the MMD has since split into two camps.

Marathon speech

Since being inaugurated as president, he has launched an anti-corruption campaign and in parliament on Thursday focused on corruption allegations against Mr Chiluba.

This anti-corruption campaign has led to the resignation of the foreign minister and the arrest of the Zambian ambassador to Washington.

Chiluba is determined to fight the allegations

Addressing a crowd of his supporters at the Sunday press conference, Mr Chiluba said: "We are witnessing the birth of a new repressive culture that will spare no one in the name of fighting corruption.

"The president has acted as the prosecutor, jury and judge."

In a two-hour prepared speech, during which he lost his way several times, Mr Chiluba told his supporters and journalists that he was aggrieved at the way in which the allegations had been made by President Mwanawasa.

Because the corruption accusations were made in parliament, he had not had the chance to defend himself.

Turmoil

The BBC's Penny Dale in Lusaka said that Mr Chiluba appeared tired but was determined to fight the allegations.

The former president warned his audience that the country would end up in turmoil if the allegations continued to be made.

Corruption allegations

$47m from the privatisation of the Roan Antelope Mining Corporation was not accounted for" $20.5m was allegedly paid by the Chiluba government for weapons which never arrived Several million dollars were paid to Mr Chiluba's family and supporters from a special bank account

He also said that if parliament removed his immunity it should also do so for Zambia's first President, Kenneth Kaunda, "to create a level playing field".

Mr Kaunda stepped down as president in 1991 after losing to Mr Chiluba in that year's election.

President Mwanawasa has not reacted publicly to Mr Chiluba's comments.

His spokesman, Arthur Yoyo, said that the people of Zambia would decide what they made of Mr Chiluba's response to the corruption allegations.