Publication: Sapa Issued: Cape Town Date: 2006-11-06 Reporter: Sapa Reporter:

Shaik Judgment Devastating : Brother

 

Publication 

Sapa
BC-COURT-SHAIK-3RD-LD-SCHABIR

Issued

Cape Town
Date 2006-11-06

Reporter

Sapa

 

The dismissal of Schabir Shaik's appeal against corruption and fraud convictions was a "devastating judgement on all three counts", his brother Mo said on Monday.

This explained Schabir Shaik's absence from a media conference he was scheduled to address, Mo told reporters in Cape Town.

He said it was a matter of hours before Schabir was supposed to report to the authorities and his brother was preparing for this.

Schabir was "gathering his thoughts" and for what lay ahead.

The court's decision was an "unfortunate judgement" but the Shaik family had "not given up hope".

Organisers of a media conference earlier said Schabir had declined to take part as planned, opting to send his brother Mo and Yunis instead.

Asked about the possibility of an appeal to the Constitutional Court, Yunis said the brothers were still studying the judgment and had not yet had time to read it completely.

Therefore, he was not in a position to draw any conclusion as to whether there were grounds to appeal to the Constitutional Court.

Yunis said the Appeal Court judgment should be respected.

"We should defer and pay deference to the judgment," he said.

The judgment could have a major impact in shaping the country's future.

The possibility now existed that former deputy president Jacob Zuma could stand trial -- and "who will be the next president of the country?".

Yunis said his brother Schabir had received the news "calmly and with detachment".

Mo said the brothers did not expect the judgment to go the way it had because Schabir still maintained that his relationship with Zuma was "founded on altruism" *1.

Schabir was taken aback but would deal with the matter with dignity, Mo said.

Yunis said if the judgement meant imprisonment for his brother Schabir, then "Schabir is ready to embrace that".

Asked about the possibility of any sort of bail application, he replied that the lawyers were in consultation and would apply their minds to that.

His brother Mo said that "Schabir does not believe that he has done anything wrong in his relationship with Jacob Zuma".

He said Zuma had been in debt and Schabir had acted out of "compassion."

Asked if Schabir had been in contact with his wife and young son, Mo said that "lots of plans have been put in place but those are private".

With acknowledgement to Sapa.


*1       There is probably an element of truth, certainly an element of plausibility, in respect of certain aspects of the relationship.

But what was the basis of the relationship between Thomson-CSF and Shaik?

And Thomson-CSF and Zuma?

He shouldn't be alone.