Abrahams has made Zuma decision
THE NPA yesterday said national director of public prosecutions Shaun Abrahams had made a decision on whether former president Jacob Zuma would face corruption charges.
That announcement, however, will be put on ice for a few weeks at least owing to an agreement between the NPA and civil society organisation the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac), which binds Abrahams to give two weeks’ notice to Casac before announcing the decision.
“We have advised Casac that the (Abrahams) has made his decision and will honour the two-week arrangement in terms of which he undertook to notify them before he announces his decision,” NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said in Pretoria. “The two-week period will lapse on March 15.”
On Friday, Mfaku said Abrahams had received recommendations from his prosecution team on whether Zuma will have his day in court on the near decade-old corruption allegations.
“(Abrahams) has received the memorandum outlining the recommendations of the team,” Mfaku said.
Zuma filed papers with the NPA on January 31, in which he gave reasons why he should not face fraud and corruption charges. The NPA had set an initial deadline of November 30, but after a request from Zuma, he was granted a seven-week extension.
On November 30, the DA filed papers with the NPA outlining why 783 counts of corruption, fraud, money laundering, and racketeering against Zuma, should immediately be reinstated.
The Supreme Court of Appeal last year refused the NPA and Zuma leave to appeal a high court ruling which set aside the 2009 decision to drop the charges which relate to South Africa’s multibillion-rand arms deal. – African News Agency (ANA)