Former President Jacob Zuma is expected to head back to the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday to yet again challenge another court ruling against him.
The Court will hear Zuma’s application for leave to appeal the dismissal of his special plea.
Judge Piet Koen dismissed Zuma’s plea in which he asked for the recusal of advocate Billy Downer in October last year and set down the trial date for the 11th of April.
Zuma and French arms company Thales are on trial over allegations regarding the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal in the 1990s.
Zuma is expected to request Judge Piet Koen to grant him leave to appeal his judgment with the belief that the Supreme Court of appeal might come to a different conclusion on the matter.
In the special plea application, Zuma’s counsel cast doubt on Advocate Downer’s impartiality. He argued that if Downer was to prosecute during Zuma’s fraud and corruption trial, the former President would not get a fair trial.
The state argued that Zuma’s arguments had been decided on already during his unsuccessful application for a permanent stay of prosecution.
Dismissing the special plea, Judge Koen said Zuma’s argument was based on speculation or suspicion or inadmissible hearsay, not on facts.
Former President Jacob Zuma expected in Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday:
Earlier, the Zuma Foundation indicated that they may challenge the ruling on the matter pertaining to Advocate Downer’s alleged leaking of information regarding Zuma’s health to the media.
Zuma is accused of receiving an annual bribe of R500 000 from French arms company Thales in exchange for using his political position to stop investigations into the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal of the 1990s.
The bribe was allegedly facilitated by Zuma’s convicted former financial advisor, Schabir Shaik.
Thales pleaded not guilty to racketeering and money laundering charges.
A timeline of the arms deal case:
