Judge to rule Sept.20 on postponement

PIETERMARITZBURG – The judge in the corruption trial of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma and a French arms company said Wednesday he would issue his ruling on a prosecution request for a postponement on September 20.

Zuma and Thint Holdings have pleaded innocent to corruption charges that Zuma accepted at least 1,2 million rand in bribes. The prosecution alleges Zuma was aware of efforts by his financial adviser Schabir Shaik to secure him yearly payments of 500 000 rands from Thint to deflect corruption investigations.The investigations centred on a 52,7 billion rand deal to buy ships, submarines, helicopters, jets and other arms in 1999.Shaik, a close friend of Zuma, was convicted on corruption charges last year and sentenced to 15 years in prison.The prosecution has asked Judge Herbert Msimang to delay the start of South Africa’s most politically explosive trial in decades to give the state time to amend its indictment with new evidence obtained in police raids last year.It said a 500-page forensic analysis of that evidence had just been completed and it could amend the indictment by October 15.Defence attorneys have asked the judge to either order the prosecution to begin the trial immediately with the current indictment or to dismiss the indictment and force the state to refile charges after the appeals court rules on challenged evidence.The defence argued yesterday some of the evidence was obtained unlawfully from raids on houses of Zuma and of offices of his attorneys and that the state was in contempt of a court order to return that evidence.Judge Msimang agreed with prosecutor Billy Downer, who said there was no contempt of court because the state had appealed the court order, giving it the authority to use the evidence until there was a ruling on its appeal.”The bottom line is we have evidence and we are entitled to use it,” said Downer.Before he was charged with corruption, Zuma was seen as a likely successor to President Thabo Mbeki when his term expires in 2009.Mbeki fired Zuma last year when it became clear the deputy president would be charged with corruption.Zuma, who as acquitted of rape in an unrelated case earlier this year, has maintained his legal problems stem from a political conspiracy to derail his campaign to become the next president.The widely popular populist politician recently stepped up his campaign to succeed Mbeki.Nampa-APThe prosecution alleges Zuma was aware of efforts by his financial adviser Schabir Shaik to secure him yearly payments of 500 000 rands from Thint to deflect corruption investigations.The investigations centred on a 52,7 billion rand deal to buy ships, submarines, helicopters, jets and other arms in 1999.Shaik, a close friend of Zuma, was convicted on corruption charges last year and sentenced to 15 years in prison.The prosecution has asked Judge Herbert Msimang to delay the start of South Africa’s most politically explosive trial in decades to give the state time to amend its indictment with new evidence obtained in police raids last year.It said a 500-page forensic analysis of that evidence had just been completed and it could amend the indictment by October 15.Defence attorneys have asked the judge to either order the prosecution to begin the trial immediately with the current indictment or to dismiss the indictment and force the state to refile charges after the appeals court rules on challenged evidence.The defence argued yesterday some of the evidence was obtained unlawfully from raids on houses of Zuma and of offices of his attorneys and that the state was in contempt of a court order to return that evidence.Judge Msimang agreed with prosecutor Billy Downer, who said there was no contempt of court because the state had appealed the court order, giving it the authority to use the evidence until there was a ruling on its appeal.”The bottom line is we have evidence and we are entitled to use it,” said Downer.Before he was charged with corruption, Zuma was seen as a likely successor to President Thabo Mbeki when his term expires in 2009.Mbeki fired Zuma last year when it became clear the deputy president would be charged with corruption.Zuma, who as acquitted of rape in an unrelated case earlier this year, has maintained his legal problems stem from a political conspiracy to derail his campaign to become the next president.The widely popular populist politician recently stepped up his campaign to succeed Mbeki.Nampa-AP