Jacob Zuma and Thales: Arms deal case hits another snag
The corruption case against former president Jacob Zuma and French arms trader Thales returned to court on Thursday.
Former president Jacob Zuma returned to the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg for a pre-trial hearing on his arms deal case with French arms trader Thales.
Zuma and Thales face charges of corruption, fraud and racketeering. Zuma is alleged to have received 783 suspicious payments to the tune of R1.2 million from his financial advisor Shabir Shaik.
JACOB ZUMA AND THALES MATTER BACK IN COURT
Zuma and Thales were first charged in 2005, but the case was later struck from the roll. In 2007, it was reinstated, but in 2009, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew the charges.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) overturned that decision, and in 2018, the case was reinstated again. The trial officially got underway in May 2021 when Zuma pleaded not guilty, Eyewitness News reported.
On Thursday, Zuma was flanked by uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party newly-appointed national organiser Floyd Shivambu and former Police Minister Nathi Nhleko as he arrived. Former National Freedom Party (NFP) secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe was also at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
In March this year Zuma lost his court bid to have state prosecutor advocate Billy Downer removed from his corruption trial.
Zuma had argued that involving Downer in the matter would infringe his right to a fair trial.
Chili said he was not convinced that Downer’s status as lead prosecutor on the case would prejudice Zuma and violate his right to a fair trial.
Zuma’s legal representative advocate Dali Mpofu, citing various cases, said that Zuma was entitled to those reasons so that he could appeal his decision properly, IOL reported.
On the other hand, Downer argued that this was the third time the matter was set down for pre-trial and urged Judge Nkosinathi Chili to go ahead.
On Thursday, judge Chili postponed the matter to 11 September in order to give reasons for his decision [in March] to dismiss Zuma’s application.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE COURT’S DECISION REGARDING THE JACOB ZUMA AND THALES MATTER?
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