1 month ago
4
Article content
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Former South African President Jacob Zuma and his co-accused, the French arms shaper Thales, returned to tribunal connected Thursday to entreaty for the dismissal of the long-running corruption lawsuit against them.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe present to work the latest quality successful your metropolis and crossed Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily contented from Financial Times, the world's starring planetary concern publication.
- Unlimited online entree to work articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 quality sites crossed Canada with 1 account.
- National Post ePaper, an physics replica of the people variation to presumption connected immoderate device, stock and remark on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe present to work the latest quality successful your metropolis and crossed Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily contented from Financial Times, the world's starring planetary concern publication.
- Unlimited online entree to work articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 quality sites crossed Canada with 1 account.
- National Post ePaper, an physics replica of the people variation to presumption connected immoderate device, stock and remark on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an relationship oregon motion successful to proceed with your speechmaking experience.
- Access articles from crossed Canada with 1 account.
- Share your thoughts and articulation the speech successful the comments.
- Enjoy further articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an relationship oregon motion successful to proceed with your speechmaking experience.
- Access articles from crossed Canada with 1 account
- Share your thoughts and articulation the speech successful the comments
- Enjoy further articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In oregon Create an Account
or
Article content
Zuma, 1 of the cardinal figures of the South African liberation conflict who served arsenic president from 2008 to 2018, is accused of corruption successful transportation with an arms transaction successful 1999.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Here’s what to cognize astir the case:
Article content
By signing up you consent to person the supra newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
The charges
Article content
Zuma faces 18 charges, including corruption, fraud, and wealth laundering, linked to 783 alleged amerciable payments helium received from French armaments shaper Thales (formerly Thomson-CSF) and concern proprietor Schabir Shaik.
Article content
Zuma has refuted each indictment, saying the accusations are portion of a “witch hunt” with governmental motivations. He is presently warring to person the charges dropped aft entering a not blameworthy plea.
Article content
Multiple delays
Article content
The lawsuit has been ongoing for astir 2 decades, facing aggregate delays including ineligible challenges by Zuma’s team, which has repeatedly appealed and challenged the charges.
Article content
In a perchance groundbreaking development, the National Prosecuting Authority is arguing earlier Judge Nkosinathi Emmanuel Chili this week that Zuma and Thales should beryllium blocked from utilizing its appeals to further hold their trial.
Article content
“Our occupation is that this strategy has delayed the lawsuit for 18 years,” advocator Trengrove told the tribunal connected Thursday. “Mr. Zuma has implicit the years tally 8 antithetic interlocutory applications and Thales has been portion of four. They person betwixt them delayed the proceeding for much than 18 years, each those applications person been dismissed.”
Article content
Article content
The ex-president’s lawyers person besides questioned the pb authoritative Advocate Billy Downer’s impartiality, starring to further delays. The erstwhile president’s sick wellness has further stalled the case.
Article content
Zuma’s defence attorneys person besides contended that without the grounds of 2 important Thales executives successful the lawsuit _former directors Pierre Moynot and Alain Thetard, who died successful 2020 and 2022 _they won’t beryllium capable to equine a meaningful defense.
Article content
Zuma’s ineligible woes
Article content
Zuma was recovered successful contempt of tribunal by the South African Constitutional Court connected June 29, 2021. He received a 15-month situation condemnation for refusing to attest earlier the Zondo committee, a judicial committee investigating allegations of corruption.
Article content
Zuma surrendered himself to the constabulary connected July 7, 2021, and was taken to the Estcourt Correctional Center successful KwaZulu-Natal. He was past released connected aesculapian parole, but the parole was ruled to beryllium unlawful, and helium was ordered to spell backmost to prison. However, helium was aboriginal released from situation aft his condemnation was commuted.
Article content
In October the erstwhile president was ordered to wage backmost $1.6 cardinal (R28.9 million) successful ineligible fees that were unlawfully funded by the authorities for his idiosyncratic corruption defense. The Gauteng High Court successful Pretoria ruled that Zuma indispensable besides wage involvement connected the amount, calculated astatine the prescribed rate.
Article content
Zuma has since been attempting to entreaty the judgement for ineligible fees, claiming he’s not liable.
Article content
____
Article content
AP’s Africa sum at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Article content
.jpg)
English (US)