NPA to decide on further action in spy tapes case

THE NATIONAL Prosecutioning Authority ( NPA) yesterday remained mum on the way forward regarding the so-called spy tapes case in which the High Court denied it leave to appeal against an earlier ruling to reinstate hundreds of corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma also requested leave to appeal against the court’s earlier ruling to set aside a previous NPA decision to drop corruption and racketeering charges against him.

“A decision will be made known within the proper time frame... there is presently no decision,” spokeswoman Bulelwa Makeke yesterday.

Last week the North Gauteng High Court dismissed with costs the applications for leave to appeal against its April judgment brought separately by the NPA and Zuma.

Delivering the unanimous rul- ing, Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said the court’s April judgement set aside the 2009 NPA decision to drop the 783 criminal charges of racketeering and corruption against Zuma was clear on how and why it arrived at that decision.

Petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal ( SCA) in Bloemfontein for the matter to be heard by another court remains an option for the NPA and Zuma.

However, the DA, which first brought the matter to court in 2009, said it believed a possible petition to the SCA would not succeed, and Zuma would eventually stand trial.

The criminal charges were withdrawn by the then prosecutions head Mokotedi Mpshe shortly before the national elections brought Zuma to power.

The High Court’s April ruling found Mpshe’s decision was irrational, and he was under political pressure to withdraw the charges which stemmed from the multibillion-rand arms deal signed a decade earlier.

Court records show on April 6, 2009, Mpshe said transcripts of telephone conversations between Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka showed political interference in the decision to charge Zuma.

The charges were withdrawn the following day. – ANA