NPA search warrants were vague: Thint

The NPA wants to use the seized documents for the upcoming Zuma and Thint corruption trial

French arms manufacturer, Thint says the search warrants used by the Scorpions in 2005 to raid their offices were too vague. Thint's advocate, Peter Hodes, is the first to present arguments in the Constitutional Court application by Thint, ANC president Jacob Zuma and his attorney Michael Hulley.

They are applying for leave to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeals decision to allow the searches, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) request to access documents from Mauritius.

The NPA wants to use documents seized during the raids, in the upcoming Zuma and Thint corruption trial. The applicants will also ask for leave to appeal the court ruling which gave the NPA permission to request documents from Mauritius.

Thint, which is to go on trial with ANC President Jacob Zuma later this year, says its purpose behind approaching the Constitutional Court is merely to vindicate its rights under the Bill of Rights. Lawyers representing Thint have told 11 of the court's judges that the company makes no excuses for this.