A South African court on Tuesday granted another stay on former President Jacob Zuma’s arms deal corruption trial as his legal team presses for the removal of the long-running chief prosecutor.
Zuma, who was ousted as head of state in 2018 after nine years in power, claimed he was a victim of political witchcraft and was not guilty of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement in a 2 2 billion arms deal in the 1990s. Has served as Deputy President of South Africa.
He alleges that Chief Prosecutor Billy Downer is biased against him, but the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) have so far rejected attempts to replace him.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Piet Coin adjourned the trial to a holding date in August to allow SCA President Downer to reconsider previous rulings by allowing him to remain in the case.
“If the (SCA) application is scheduled by August 1, 2022 and no application for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court has been initiated, the trial will resume at 10 am. August 15, 2022, ”said Cohen.
However, if the SCA issue is not addressed in early August, a new date will be set, he added in a case involving co-accused French defense agency Thales. He also pleaded not guilty to the charges.