‘The new evidence is substantial and [would] affect a prosecution’

The National Prosecuting Authority is close to making a decision on whether to go ahead with new corruption charges against ANC president Jacob Zuma, NPA spokesman Tlali Tlali said yesterday.

“We are ready to make a final decision. The investigations have been carried out,” he said.

The charges, thrown out of court last year without a hearing, centre on Zuma’s relationship with businessman Schabir Shaik, who was found guilty in 2005 of soliciting an arms company bribe for Zuma. Shaik was jailed for 15 years.

Corruption charges were dropped against Zuma last year because, the state said, it was not ready to prosecute.

Zuma is challenging in the Constitutional Court aspects of search-and-seizure raids, related to the corruption investigation, on his home and on the premises of his lawyer. The NPA filed a late answering affidavit , said Tlali.

He would not say when a decision on a Zuma prosecution would be made.

Papers filed last week in the Constitutional Court by the acting national director of public prosecutions suggest that the NPA is confident that it will be able to mount a successful prosecution against Zuma.

The Scorpions’ senior investigator , Johan du Plooy, said the scope of the evidence against Zuma had widened .

He said evidence indicated that Zuma had not declared taxable income of about R2.8-million and had evaded tax on more than R1-million from 1995 to 2004.

“The new evidence obtained during and after the Shaik trial, though as yet untested in a trial, is substantial and affects the essence of any future prosecution,” Du Plooy said.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Times.