Judge Piet Koen has adjourned Jacob Zuma’s arms deal corruption trial pending the outcome of the former president’s appeal application in a bid to have state prosecutor Billy Downer removed from the case.
Delivering his judgment at the high court in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday, Koen said the trial, which was set to resume in November, will now be heard from January 30 2023.
Zuma faces multiple charges of fraud, racketeering, and money-laundering linked to the multibillion-rand arms deal struck back in the 1990s. The former statesman is accused alongside French arms dealer Thales.
The former president’s case was heard at the high court in his absentia on Monday, where his legal counsel briefed Koen about the appeal application to the Constitutional Court.
During the proceedings, Zuma’s legal counsel also argued that the trial should not proceed until the apex court has handed down its ruling.
In February, the high court turned down Zuma’s first bid to appeal the dismissal of his application for the recusal of Downer as the lead prosecutor in the case.
Zuma lodged a complaint of prosecutorial misconduct in October 2021 and accused Downer of allegedly leaking his medical records to the media. He said at the time that the officials from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had violated his rights since the start of his case in 2005, and requested to be acquitted should the court find he was treated unfairly.
He also contended that the state attorney was neither independent nor impartial.
In June, the Jacob G Zuma Foundation confirmed that the former president would pursue private prosecution of Downer following the issuance of the nolle prosequi certificate by the NPA.
By virtue of the power given to him through the certificate, the matter against Downer is currently on the court roll with famous legal journalist Karyn Maughan added as a defendant.
The former statesman alleges that Maughan colluded with the state to publish his medical records without his permission.
Also read: Zuma to lay criminal charges against Adv Billy Downer
Jacob Zuma prepares to grill state advocate Billy Downer
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