BDFM News Online
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
DURBAN - The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) request for documents from Mauritius detailing meetings of Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thint will be argued in the Pietermaritzburg High Court next year.
The NPA has applied for a court-sanctioned letter of request to the Mauritius attorney-general for the documents to be released. A Durban High Court judge heard the matter in chambers yesterday.
Zuma's and Thint's legal counsel are opposing the request, and have been given until February 9 to file papers, while the state would respond by March 2, the NPA said. The court has set aside March 22 to 23 for arguments.
The documents include the 2000 diary of former Thint director Alain Thethard, which is said to contain details of an alleged meeting attended by Zuma, Thethard and Shabir Shaik.
Shaik was convicted of fraud and two counts of corruption in July last year. He went to jail last month after the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the judgment.
Judge Herbert Msimang struck the case against Zuma and Thint off the roll in September after the state had applied a postponement, pending the outcome of the Shaik appeal and a challenge to search and seizure operations at the homes and businesses of Zuma, his attorneys and Thint.
The outstanding documents were also at the time presented to the court as a reason for the postponement of the case.
Last week, Directorate of Special Operations special investigator Isak du Plooy said in an affidavit there was "a reasonable prospect" of corruption charges being reinstated against Zuma and Thint. But the NPA said it had not yet taken a decision on the matter.
NPA prosecutor Anton Steynberg has described the diary as "certainly an important piece of evidence".