Former South African president Jacob Zuma who is facing fraud and corruption charges speaks with a member of his legal team in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, May 17, 2021. (Photo by ROGAN WARD / POOL / AFP)
South Africa’s scandal-tainted ex-president Jacob Zuma arrived in court Monday for the expected start of a trial in a 20-year-old bribery case.
Zuma is facing 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering relating to a 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms for 30 billion rands — equal to almost $5.0 billion at the time.
The 79-year-old Zuma, who was at the time serving as deputy president to Thabo Mbeki, is accused of accepting bribes amounting to four million rands from one of the firms, French defence giant Thales.
Over the years, the case has been postponed numerous times as Zuma lodged a string of motions to have the charges dropped.
In the latest snag last month, all of Zuma’s lawyers quit,…
Source: Guardian Newspaper
