South Africa: Zuma's team complains over trial delay

28 Mai 2020

Cape Town, South Africa, May 27 (Infosplusgabon) –  Former President Jacob Zuma's legal team on Tuesday accused the South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of using the coronavirus pandemic to justify the postponement of his high-profile corruption trial until next year.

As previously reported, Judge President Mjabuliseni Madondo last week agreed to postpone the trial relating to South Africa’s multi-million-dollar arms deal in the 1990s.

KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Natasha Madondo, cited the coronavirus pandemic for the delay, saying lockdown travel and court appearance restrictions were to blame.

However, Zuma's lawyer, Eric Mabuza, is now accusing the trial judges of having “inappropriate discussions” with trial prosecutor Billy Downer.

Downer stated French arms company, Thales, which has also been charged in the case, had requested preliminary information including an entire database of all material seized by the police.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation said the former president was ready to proceed with the trial immediately “and it is now the State that is seeking a postponement of the trial on a variety of frivolous grounds at this point”.

PANA reports that Zuma has spent the past 15 years and millions of dollars in taxpayer’s money attempting to prevent his trial from going ahead.

He is facing charges over 783 payments he allegedly received from Thales in connection with a massive arms deal which saw the South African military purchasing jet fighters, ships and submarines.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/AOD/GABON2020

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