Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2007-06-06 Reporter: Ernest Mabuza

Zuma Wants to Halt Order to Obtain UK Records

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2007-06-06

Reporter

 Sapa

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

Jacob Zuma has asked the Pretoria High Court to set aside an order granting the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) permission to approach banks and solicitors in the United Kingdom as part of the investigation into the African National Congress deputy president and arms company Thint.

In an affidavit, signed last month, Zuma asks the court to set aside a judgment by Judge Ben du Plessis who in March ratified a letter of request for international assistance from Leonard McCarthy, the head of the NDPP.

Zuma has asked the Pretoria High Court to be joined in the proceedings asking that the ratification be set aside.

In his affidavit to the court he said he was never informed about the application and only learned about it when a journalist approached him.

He said had he known about the application he would have opposed it.

McCarthy wants the assistance of the manager of Barclays Bank London, where the account of solicitors Berwin Leighton Paisner is held.

He also wants to approach the solicitors regarding details of a payment made in August 2001 from their bank account to an entity in SA named Cay Nominees Ltd.

"There are some indications that the payment may in fact be linked to Thomson/Thales [Thint] and their undertaking to pay Zuma R500 000 per annum as a bribe," McCarthy said in his letter.

"If so, it appears that Berwin Leighton Paisner’s account was used to launder the payment of money from Thomson/Thales to Zuma," he said.

The state has yet to file a replying affidavit and no date has been set down to decide on Zuma’s request.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Business Day