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Former South African President Jacob Zuma appears at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
- Tuesday was a quiet day outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg, where Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial was supposed to begin.
- But thThe matter was postponed due to the result of a request for review submitted by the French arms company Thales.
- Thales went to court, arguing that it should not be included in the extortion charges against Zuma.
Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial was last postponed in 2020 and the case is scheduled to move forward next year, on February 23.
Chief State Defender Billy Downer appeared before Judge Nompumelelo Radebe in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, where he requested a consent order for the postponement. The parties – Zuma, the French arms company Thales and the state – agreed to the postponement.
Radebe granted the order and stated that several issues, including Thales’s request for review to have the extortion charges dismissed, were given as reasons for the postponement.
“Both defendants are in absentia and with permission from this court. Having read the documents in the file and considered the State’s and defendant’s submissions, the court orders a postponement for pre-trial matters.
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Among the other issues that needed clarity were the additional details requested by Thales and the international travel of some of the company’s representatives.
In the request for review, attorney Barry Roux, SC, who represents Thales, argued that there was no evidence that they were aware of the paid bribes that Schabir Shaik paid to Zuma.
News24 previously reported that Roux said the state was wrong in its decision to indict Thales in the case, which involves an alleged 783 corrupt payments that Shaik made to Zuma.
Roux argued that there was no evidence that Thales had knowledge of the alleged bribes. He said that the prosecution and the National Director of the Public Prosecutor’s Office did not duly examine the complete file.
He also said Thales was responsible for payments made to Zuma in which they did not participate.
“They should do it or participate in it. Real participation is required. When you look at the request from the state,[ly] declared there was enough to trust [Thales’] bribery awareness. Even if there is awareness, they never entertain the idea that it must be participation.
“Bribery or money laundering must be through a company. It must be done knowingly,” he had said.
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News24 previously reported that attorney Wim Trengove, SC, who represents the State, maintained the argument that they were not based on direct evidence, but on circumstantial evidence,
He said it was not just a knowledge of bribery.
“It is not mere conscience. They were aware of the advance payments, then they joined. They did two things. They agreed to pay money to bribe Zuma and thwart the investigation into their own corruption. That makes them complicit after the fact.” “
Trengove added that the purchase of a “continuous advance” demonstrated participation.
It is unclear when the judgment will be rendered. The judges stated that a trial date would be announced.
