Fresh bid for stay of prosecution over funding
IF THE State has its way, the appearance of former president Jacob Zuma in the Durban High Court today will merely be a formality to deal with a few housekeeping matters and to have the case postponed.
But it is expected that the Zuma camp will have plenty to say on the issue of who is going to fund his legal fees.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said they had confirmed with the KwaZuluNatal Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Moipone Noko, that today’s proceedings will simply be a postponement. However, he could not confirm at this stage until when it may be postponed.
He said the State was ready to proceed. During his first appearance in April, advocate Billy Downer indicated that the matter could go on trial from November.
Mfaku confirmed that the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shaun Abrahams, had this week rejected a request from Zuma’s lawyer, Michael Hulley, for a stay of proceedings in the criminal case against him, until the legal battle over who will pay his legal fees is concluded.
During Zuma’s earlier appearance, Hulley was adamant that they would lodge an application with the high court for a stay of prosecution.
He said at the time that they would file their papers in this regard by May 25. But Hulley missed this deadline. Hulley last week intimated that a stay of prosecution application was not off the table if the issue of funding could not be resolved.
There is the pending application by the DA and the EFF that the State should no longer foot his legal bills. It is not clear what Hulley’s next move will be following Abrahams’s refusal for a stay of proceedings, or whether he would launch a formal application in this regard to the court.
Hulley was unavailable to comment on the way forward, but earlier in the week he confirmed that today’s appearance would be a postponement. He said there were many issues to sort out, which included Zuma’s legal funding.
It will also not be announced who the legal team (advocates) is who will defend Zuma in his criminal trial. He is facing 12 counts of fraud, two of corruption as well as money laundering charges.