President Zuma's personal lawyer paid R2.3 million 

President Jacob Zuma's personal lawyer, Michael Hulley, has been paid over R2.3 million from the public purse to defend litigation initiated by the DA to obtain the reduced record of the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) 2009 decision to drop charges against Jacob Zuma - the ‘Spy Tapes' case -  a reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed.

This is in addition to the R1.3 million in respect of costs paid to the DA in terms of an order by the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) when the President lost an earlier round of this on-going legal dispute.

At this stage, we therefore know that in total, the ‘Spy Tapes' case, has cost the public over R3.6 million. This probably does not include the fees paid to other private Advocates, including Kemp J Kemp and his team. It certainly does not include the costs paid to Adv. Paul Kennedy and his juniors who appeared for the NPA.  

The DA will submit further parliamentary to ascertain all costs associated with the ‘Spy Tapes' case.

It is absolutely disgraceful that the public has to continue coughing up to fund President Zuma's continued attempts to avoid his day in court. If he is indeed innocent, he must appear in court to prove his innocence. 

It is of particular concern that Micheal Hulley appears to be double-dipping from the State. He is employed by President Zuma as his personal advisor, at a cost of R700 an hour and it has been now revealed that his firm also received payment in the Spy Tapes case.

This is not over. We will not rest. The truth needs to come out.

The DA will keep going in our attempt to prove that the NPA's decision to drop the charges against the Jacob Zuma in 2009 was irrational and politically-motivated. 

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of the DA Federal Executive, November 1 2013

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