Publication: Cape Times Issued: Date: 2007-08-07 Reporter: Karyn Maughan

Fed-up Scorpions want Appeal Court To Order that Zuma Pays Its (sic) Huge Legal Bill

 

Publication 

Cape Times
Date

2007-08-07

Reporter

Karyn Maughan

Web Link

 www.capetimes.co.za

 

Johannesburg: The Scorpions have had it with Jacob Zuma, and they want to make him pay.

Not only do prosecuting authorities want the former deputy president to be censured for his "scandalous", "gratuitous" and "unwarranted" accusations of dishonesty and political engineering against the state, but they have asked the Supreme Court of Appeal to order that he foot a multimillion rand legal bill.

Zuma has claimed that the state's investigation into possible corruption charges against him was "engineered" to tarnish his name ahead of the ANC conference in December, painting him as a "criminal".

But, in a strongly worded response to Zuma and French arms company Thint's latest court bid to stop the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) from getting their hands on 14 Mauritian documents needed for a possible corruption prosecution, the state said such claims were "scurrilous and unmerited".

Counsel for the state Guido Penzhorn, SC, Billy Downer, SC, and Anton Steynberg also argued that Zuma and Thint's criticism of the state had "become a constant feature" of their legal battles with the NPA and would continue "unless the courts intervene".

"The National Director of Public Prosecutions accepts that, in an open and democratic society, a state institution such as the NPA may legitimately be criticised where the facts warrant this. However, it is submitted that this does not allow an important instrument of our democracy to be gratuitously and unnecessarily scandalised.

"Such actions unjustifiably bring into disrepute an important organ of government and role-player in the criminal justice system in the eyes of the public. This is inimical to the interests of justice and should not … be countenanced by the court," they stated.

Penzhorn and his colleagues have also accused Zuma of launching an "express and implied attack" on Downer's integrity, which they say - included suggestions that Downer "stole" the disputed documents.

Pointing out that two courts had found that Downer's obtaining of copies of the 14 disputed documents was "entirely lawful", counsel for the state questioned whether Zuma "can honestly continue to believe that the criticisms levelled against the state … have any merit whatsoever".

According to the state, "in the light of persistent unfounded and unwarranted attacks on the integrity and good faith of officials of the National Director of Public Prosecutions", they [said].

With acknowledgements to Karyn Maughan and Cape Times.


Stop the small talk - wack these dingbats right into the infirmary sections of a correctional institution of their choice.

For non-natural persons such as Thomson-CSF, rip out their financial gizzards by having them forfeit their shares to The State on behalf of The People and being blacklisted for the rest of our natural lives in every relevant market across the planet.