Arms deal case: Prosecutors argue Zuma purposely avoiding day in court for over 18 years

The prosecutors in the arms deal corruption case said former President Jacob Zuma has been purposely avoiding his day in court for over 18 years.

The prosecution team has submitted an application seeking an order to allow the trial to proceed regardless of any interlocutory or related applications in the background.

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Zuma, along with French arms company Thales, face several charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to the controversial 1999 arms deal.

The two-decade-long legal battle resumed at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.

Thursday’s court proceedings were for oral arguments in Thales and Zuma’ application for leave to appeal an earlier ruling that dismissed their bid to have the charges against them dropped.

This was the 12th different interlocutory application brought by Thales and Zuma since the matter was enrolled in 2005.

State prosecutor Wim Trengrove has filed his own application to stop what he calls the “stop Stalingrad tactics application”.

“The historical pattern which has been going on for 18 years will simply continue. Your Lordship [judge] will refuse them ‘leave to appeal’ in this application to stop the prosecution, they will apply for leave to appeal to the SCA [Supreme Court of Appeal] tomorrow.

“If that application is refused, they will apply for a reconsideration in the SCA and if that is refused, they apply for leave to appeal at the Constitutional Court and if that is refused, history shows us there will be another interim application. We can’t simply resign ourselves to the fact that we are stuck in this merry-go-round, which never ends.”

Judgment on both applications will be handed down on 23 January.