Announcement on JZ charges on hold
IDES OF MARCH: NDPP WILL INFORM HIM ON MARCH 15 Abrahams will only make decision public after informing ex-leader’s lawyers.
NDPP Shaun Abrahams has made a decision, but can’t announce it yet as he’s fighting for his job in ConCourt.
The decision to prosecute Jacob Zuma for corruption – or not – has been made by national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) advocate Shaun Abrahams, but it will have to wait while stumbling blocks in the way of making the public announcement resolve themselves.
Abrahams will be fighting Corruption Watch, Freedom Under Law, and the Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution (Casac) to keep his job in the Constitutional Court today.
The three organisations are seeking a confirmatory order of a High Court in Pretoria invalidity declaration of certain sections of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act, former NDPP Mxolisi Nxsana’s R17 million resignation, and Abrahams’ appointment.
Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo also hamstrung Zuma by removing his power to appoint another NDPP by finding Zuma was conflicted by his 18 pending charges.
Casac’s Lawson Naidoo took the matter a step further by obtaining an agreement from Abrahams he would not withdraw the charges against Zuma while waiting for the Constitutional Court decision and if he intended to do so, had to give Casac two weeks’ notice.
“Should he not provide such an undertaking Casac may apply for an interdict to this effect, and may also seek a personal costs order against Abrahams,” Naidoo said at the time.
NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku told The Citizen yesterday the state attorney had written to Casac’s attorneys to inform them of Abrahams reaching a decision on the matter.
Reading sections of the letter, Mfaku said Abrahams would communicate his decision to Zuma’s lawyers and other interested parties and make public his decision after the lapse of the agreed time which had been calculated as March 15, unless Lawson agreed to waive the two weeks.
“The 15th is not the date on which the decision will be announced,” Mafaku said.
He said only on March 15 would Abrahams be allowed to inform Zuma’s lawyers and only when that is done, could Abrahams announce a date on which the decision would be made public.
Naidoo said he had heard about the state attorney’s letter but had not seen it himself. Once he had, then he would make decision on the two-week notice period.
Made up of 12 counts of fraud, four of corruption, one of money laundering and one of racketeering, Zuma’s charges stem from 783 payments allegedly made to – and on his behalf – by Schabir Shaik and his Nkobi group valued at more than R4 million. –