Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2006-02-13 Reporter: Sapa Reporter: Reporter:

Ngoepe Asked to Recuse Himself

 

Publication 

Sapa
BC-COURT-LD-ZUMA-RECUSE

Issued

Johannesburg
Date 2006-02-13

Reporter

 Sapa

 

Lawyers for Jacob Zuma have asked Transvaal Provincial Division Judge President Bernard Ngoepe to recuse himself from the former deputy president's rape trial.

Advocate Kemp Kemp (correct) said the reason for the recusal was because of past events, a reference to Ngoepe issuing the Scorpions a search warrant for several Zuma premises as well as those of his lawyers and associates.

Kemp made it clear that he did not have a problem with Ngoepe being the presiding judge, but that Zuma, his client, had a problem.

Kemp said Zuma believed that the judge might be biased because he granted the search warrants even though Zuma had maintained his innocense.

"The accused is apprehensive that you will not look at his case in the same manner as you would look at another accused's case," Kemp told Ngoepe.

Another reason given for doubts about Ngoepe's objectivity towards Zuma and his trial was that Ngoepe granted search warrants for places outside his jurisdiction.

The search warrants related to his corruption trial set for later this year.

With ackowledgements to Sapa.