Home

NPA to oppose Zuma’s application to appeal Pietermaritzburg High Court’s decision

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has vowed to oppose former President Jacob Zuma’s application to appeal the decision of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg to dismiss his special application to have advocate Billy Downer removed as prosecutor at his corruption trial.

Judge Piet Koen dismissed Zuma’s application last month citing his failure to meet legal requirements.

The former President faces 16 counts of fraud, corruption, racketeering, and money laundering along with French arms company Thales in connection with the multi-billion-rand arms deal.

NPA Spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga confirmed the receipt of court papers.

Mhaga says, “As we’ve always maintained, all these issues that relate to political interference, bias, the impartiality on the part of the prosecution team as well as the title to prosecute, were ventilated and properly pronounced upon by two courts – that is the Supreme Court of Appeal as well as the full bench that sat on the permanent stay of prosecution in Pietermaritzburg.”

“So this is the 3rd judgment that reaffirms our position that there is no bearing on the fairness or otherwise of a trial of that of Mr Zuma, therefore, we will vigorously oppose the application for leave to appeal at a date when it has been arranged,” he adds.

The Zuma and Thales matter is scheduled to resume on April 11, 2022.

The video is the corruption case against Zuma and French arms company Thales in September 2021:

Author

MOST READ