Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2006-12-12 Reporter: Sapa Reporter:

Zuma : Mauritian Document Request Postponed

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2006-12-12

Reporter

 Sapa

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) request to have documents pertaining to meetings between Jacob Zuma, French arms manufacturer Thint and Schabir Shaik released from Mauritius, was today postponed to March.

Zuma and Thint’s legal teams will be back in court in March to oppose the State’s application requesting the documents to be handed over to the NPA.

The documents showed that a meeting did take place between Zuma, convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik and Thint’s former chief executive, Elain Thethard (sic - Alain Thétard).

The NPA today asked the Durban High Court to issue a letter of request to the Mauritian attorney general in terms of the International Cooperation in Criminal Matters Act.

Judge Phillip Levinsohn ruled in chambers that Zuma and Thint have until February 9 to file papers opposing the application, while the State has until March 2 to respond.

He further ruled that the matter be argued in the Pietermaritzburg High Court from March 22 to March 25. The documents, held in Mauritius, included Thethard’s 2000 diary.

In supporting documentation submitted it was revealed that "the entry (in Thethard’s diary) for March 11, 2000, is a particularly important piece of evidence for the state and the present prosecution. "It appears from this entry that Thethard met with ’J Zuma + SS’ (Schabir Shaik) in Durban on that day".

Shaik was convicted of fraud and two counts of corruption by Judge Hilary Squires in July last year. Earlier this year the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the Squires judgment and Shaik was sent to prison. On the second count of corruption Schaik was found guilty of trying to solicit a R500 000 a year bribe from Thethard for Zuma.

The attorney for Thint, Ajay Sooklal, and Zuma’s advocate, Kemp J Kemp, as well as Anton Steinberg for the NPA were at the Durban High Court this morning. However, they did not speak to the media after Levinsohn issued his ruling.

In March the NPA tried to get a similar letter of request but Judge Pete Combrinck ruled that it would have to be granted by the trial judge hearing the case against Zuma.

In September this year Judge Herbert Msimang struck the case against Zuma and Thint from the roll after the State had sought a postponement pending the outcome of the Shaik appeal and a challenge to the search and seizure raids carried out on the homes and businesses of Zuma, his attorneys and Thint. The outstanding Mauritian documents were at the time presented to the court as a reason for the postponement of the case.

With acknowledgement to Business Day.


Watching the NPA's case unfold against Zuma and the Two Thins is far worse than watching paint dry in the average Western Cape winter.

Get out that blow torch.