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The former president of South Africa will be released from prison to attend the case in person.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma will be released from prison next week to attend long-standing corruption cases in person rather than through video links.
Judge Piet Koen said on Wednesday that the hearing, originally scheduled for August 10 in the southeastern city of Pietermaritzburg, “will be held in a public court.”
The 79-year-old Zu Ma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for an unrelated case, which triggered violence and robbery.
Soon after, he appeared in court through a video link for a corruption trial, even though his lawyer complained that the online format was unconstitutional and violated his right to face-to-face consultation with lawyers.
Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, corruption and extortion related to the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment from five European arms companies during his tenure as vice president in 1999.
He was accused of taking bribes from one of the companies, the French defense giant Thales, which was charged with corruption and money laundering.
Next week’s hearing will begin with Zuma’s application, the state’s chief prosecutor Billy Downer evading the case due to accusations of prejudice and leaking information to the media.
The Zuma Foundation welcomes Cohen’s decision to try the case in public court.
“The victory of the constitution…Now Mr. Downer will be handled appropriately,” the foundation wrote on Twitter.
During the last court session, Wim Telengov, a lawyer representing the State Prosecutor’s Office, rejected Downer’s request for recusal, saying it was “just a trick to further delay the case.”
For more than a decade, the lawsuit has been postponed repeatedly because Zuma is taking back actions to drop the charges.
Zuma in prison
During his tenure as president from 2009 to 2019, Zuma refused to testify to the National Corruption Commission and was ordered to serve 15 months in prison.
Protests initially broke out against Zuma’s imprisonment, but quickly turned into riots and robberies, and the Self-Defense Force was formed to protect property. Major roads and railway lines were closed, businesses were looted and burned.
The violence escalated into the worst unrest since the end of apartheid, prompting South Africa’s current President Cyril Ramaphosa (Cyril Ramaphosa) Label it Attempt to “uprising”.
At least 337 deaths During the turmoil.
Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel (Ebrahim Patel) said Thursday that robbed companies across the country have suffered losses of approximately R5 billion (US$348 million).
Frustration over the country’s persistently high unemployment rate and economic inequality has also contributed to the violence, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
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