News / Africa
BREAKING: Jacob Zuma loses arms deal court case
16 Feb 2022 at 03:24hrs | Views
Pietermaritzburg judge Judge Piet Koen has dismissed former South African President Jacob Zuma application to have Prosecutor Billy Downer removed from his arms deal case alleging he and other National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials had interfered in his prosecution.
"Appeal lacks reasonable prospects of success," the judge said.
Downer is the lead prosecutor in the trial of Zuma on charges of fraud, racketeering, money laundering and corruption stemming from the 1999 arms deal.
French arms manufacturer Thales is also facing charges in the same trial.
Zuma laid a criminal complaint in October last year against lead prosecutor.
His legal team had requested that Koen should grant them leave to appeal to the SCA to consider Zuma's allegations of prosecutorial bias.
When he pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering relating to the arms deal at the start of his trial last year, Zuma raised a "special plea", saying Downer had no "title" to prosecute him.
This is a developing story….
"Appeal lacks reasonable prospects of success," the judge said.
Downer is the lead prosecutor in the trial of Zuma on charges of fraud, racketeering, money laundering and corruption stemming from the 1999 arms deal.
French arms manufacturer Thales is also facing charges in the same trial.
Zuma laid a criminal complaint in October last year against lead prosecutor.
His legal team had requested that Koen should grant them leave to appeal to the SCA to consider Zuma's allegations of prosecutorial bias.
When he pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering relating to the arms deal at the start of his trial last year, Zuma raised a "special plea", saying Downer had no "title" to prosecute him.
This is a developing story….
Source - Byo24News
