Publication: The Mercury Issued: Date: 2005-11-09 Reporter: Jeremy Gordin Reporter: Nalisha Kalideen Reporter:

Politicians, Business People and Investigators to Testify

 

Publication 

The Mercury
Date 2005-11-09

Reporter

 Jeremy Gordin, Nalisha Kalideen

Web Link

www.themercury.co.za

 

105 on witness list for Zuma trial

Former deputy president Jacob Zuma will be handed a formidable witness list of politicians, business people, lawyers and a host of investigators on Saturday.

They are among the people named on the witness list attached to the provisional indictment against Zuma, which was officially released yesterday *1, and form part of the state's arsenal in the corruption case against the deputy president of the ANC.

The indictment will be handed to Zuma when he appears in the Durban Regional Court for his case to be referred to the Durban High Court for trial on July 31 next year.

Zuma has been charged with two counts of corruption. Also charged are Thint Holding (Southern Africa) (Pty) Ltd, accused number two, and Thint (Pty) Ltd, number three.

Summons

Thint Holding is owned by the arms giant Thales of France, and itself owns 80% of Thint. The other 20% is owned by Nkobi Holdings, previously managed by Zuma's former financial adviser Schabir Shaik and now run by his brother Mo.

However, neither accused number two nor three will appear in court on Saturday. In terms of the summons served on them, they need only appear before the high court in July.

Last night Pierre Moynot, the Chief Executive of Thint, said he believed that neither his parent company in France nor the French Justice Ministry would co-operate with the Scorpions.

He said that in the Shaik trial, his company had been granted immunity *2 from prosecution by former justice minister Penuell Maduna and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka.

"There are no new facts, and I do not understand why we are being charged again. I think this is purely a political matter," said Moynot. "Mr Zuma never asked for anything at all from Thales and we have never paid him anything at all." *3

All three accused are each charged with two counts of corruption. *4 The main charge against Zuma is that he benefited in a corrupt manner from his relationship with Shaik, to the tune of about R1.3 million. Some of this money is alleged to have gone towards the construction of his rural homestead in Nkandla, which cost R1.34 million.

Both Thint companies are charged with having been party to the arms deal bribery request, which was allegedly set out in a so-called encrypted fax written by Thint's then local representative, Alain Thetard.

It was in exchange for an affidavit from Thetard, about the fax, that Thales was granted immunity from prosecution in the trial of Schabir Shaik, who was sentenced to 15 years for corruption and fraud.

The list of state witnesses in the Zuma trial names 105 people, who will be called to testify against the former deputy president.

One of these - a Supt Dharmendra Jugoo of the Mauritian police - died some years ago of natural causes, and another is advocate Billy Downer SC - one of the NPA prosecutors. And one witness's name appears twice. So an effective list of 102 people is lined up to testify against Zuma.

The Independent Democrats' Patricia de Lille, Temba Sono, formerly of the ID, and Gavin Woods formerly chairman of the Standing Committee of Public Accounts, parliament's financial watchdog, are three politicians who are expected to be called.

Business

Durban businessman Vivian Reddy, Mpumalanga businesswoman Norah Fakude-Nkuna, Johannesburg businessman Jurgen Kogl, British tourism expert John Lennon and Cape Town defence engineer and businessman Richard Young are among the business people lined up to give evidence.

Former Scorpions advocate Gerda Ferreira, Stephan Franke, Reddy's attorney, former judge Willem Heath and Johan van der Walt, the forensic auditor whose report was the foundation of the state case against Shaik, are among the legal brains to give evidence next year. Scorpions investigators Johan du Plooy, Isak du Plooy and Willem Lubbe are also on the witness list.

With acknowledgements to Jeremy Gordin, Nalisha Kalideen and The Mercury


*1  Unofficially released to Karen Bliksem last Saturday (but not by the NPA over the pillow).

*2  But for why, Butthead?

*3  Is he saying Mr Justice Hilary Squires and his two Gentleman Assessors were wrong?

His fugitive compatriot Thetard affidavit under oath would also indicate otherwise.

Why would Mr Thetard remain fugitive if this were not true, for perjury?

*4  Very, very interesting. Why would the Thints be charged with Count No. 1 - unless they knew the wonga that was coming from them to Nkobi Holdings was ending up with Accused No. 1 and their wrongdoing was not only in relation to the R500 000 per year until ADS starts paying dividends. This would mean that there was bribery to get the Corvette Combat Suite contract as well as bribery to cover up the investigation thereof. Eureka.