Zuma studying spy tapes appeal judgement

24 June 2016

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma is considering his options after the Pretoria High Court dismissed his application for leave to appeal its decision that he should face corruption charges.

“The presidency has noted the decision of the North Gauteng High Court and is studying the judgment,” spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said.

The National Prosecuting Authority and Zuma’s lawyers had asked for leave to appeal the court’s ruling on April 29, that the decision to discontinue his prosecution on corruption charges should be reviewed and set aside.

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said then-NPA head Mokotedi Mpshe acted irrationally after coming under pressure.

He ruled that another court was unlikely to come to a different conclusion, and therefore Zuma’s leave to appeal was denied.

Zuma and the NPA could now petition the Supreme Court of Appeal or the Constitutional Court directly. Even if the original judgment stood, the NPA could still decide not to prosecute based on other reasons.

DA federal executive council chairperson James Selfe said Zuma could now have his day in court and face the 783 charges.

Hilton Epstein, for the NPA, argued before the court earlier this month that Mpshe would have acted in bad faith if he had continued the prosecution, knowing there had been an abuse of the prosecutorial process.

On April 6, 2009, Mpshe said transcripts of telephone conversations between then-Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka showed political interference in the decision to charge Zuma.

The charges were withdrawn in the High Court in Durban on April 7, 2009.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.