Cape Argus

Lawyer denies Duduzane is evading capture probe

- Siviwe Feketha

FORMER president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane has not been evading the country’s authoritie­s investigat­ing state capture.

This is according to his lawyer, Rudi Krause, speaking to Independen­t Media last night.

Duduzane is set to appear before the Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesbu­rg in connection with his alleged involvemen­t in attempts by the Guptas to bribe former finance minister Mcebisi Jonas in 2016.

On Thursday Duduzane is scheduled to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on a separate culpable homicide charge.

Krause said his client was ready for both appearance­s.

“We going to apply for bail. They claim to have a warrant for his arrest, which they want to execute.

“They are going to execute the warrant and we going to appear before court,” he said.

Krause said Zuma jr has not been running away from authoritie­s.

“There was a summons issued for him to appear in court on Thursday on a charge of culpable homicide resulting from a motor vehicle accident. The correspond­ence with the prosecutin­g authority in that regard has always been that after they issued a summons that he is going to appear,” he said.

“There was just no way he was not going to appear. It is wrong to suggest that he was avoiding or evading anything,” he added.

According to Jonas, the older Gupta brother – Ajay – told him that they planned to make him the new finance minister in exchange for him working for the brothers.

Jonas also alleged that in the presence of Duduzane and businessma­n Fana Hlongwane, he was offered R600000 in cash and R600 million, which would later be deposited into his account if he accepted the controvers­ial offer, which he said infuriated him.

Yesterday, Hawks spokespers­on Hangwani Mulaudzi said the elite crime fighting unit would only be divulging details about the case today. Duduzane was in the country to attend the funeral of his brother.

 ?? PICTURE: CHRIS COLLINGRID­GE ?? Former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and Ajay Gupta.
PICTURE: CHRIS COLLINGRID­GE Former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and Ajay Gupta.

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