South African state prosecutor to appeal order to reinstate Zuma corruption charges
Reuters
Published May 23, 2016 05:51AM ET
South African state prosecutor to appeal order to reinstate Zuma corruption charges
PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa's state prosecutor said on Monday he would appeal against a High Court ruling which could lead to 783 corruption charges being reinstated against President Jacob Zuma.
The ruling will bring some relief to Zuma as he faces mounting calls to quit from the opposition and even from members of the ruling African National Congress after a damning constitutional court judgment against him in March.
A decision by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in April 2009 to set aside hundreds of charges allowed Zuma to run for president the same month.
The NPA's decision at the time was based on phone intercepts presented by Zuma's legal team that suggested the timing of the charges in late 2007 may have been part of a political plot against Zuma.
But the High Court last month ordered a review of the NPA's decision.
"I have decided to apply for leave to appeal against the judgment," the National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams told a televised media conference on Monday.
He said the law allowed the prosecutor a discretion that can be exercised at various stages of the an investigation, and that the court ruling could dilute the NPA's powers.
"It is also a matter that seriously affects the separation of powers. This is an important matter of principle which affects all prosecutions, it is so important. I believe it needs the decision of an appeal court," Abrahams said.
The hundreds of corruption charges relate to a major government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s.
Zuma said last month that an investigation into the deal had found no evidence of corruption or fraud. Critics denounced the findings as a cover-up and said they would continue to campaign for justice.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.