The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday appeared confident of success in its application to have the decision to drop 783 fraud‚ corruption and racketeering charges against President Jacob Zuma set aside.
“The court’s willingness to engage this case to date bodes well for the discharge of justice‚” said the party’s James Selfe a day before the North Gauteng High Court was to hear the case.
“We are optimistic that the court will receive our arguments favourably and come to a determination to set aside the decision to drop the charges against President Zuma.”
He said the party the decision – made by then acting National Director of Public Prosecutions‚ advocate Mokotedi Mpshe – “was born out of irrational political considerations not based in law or due process”.
“Mpshe has now desperately attempted to distance himself from this decision…‚” Selfe said‚ adding that Mpshe’s confirms — in his supplementary confirmatory affidavit — that “the decision to prosecute Zuma had been taken‚ and the prosecution would be instituted as soon as possible because there was no legitimate reason to delay it- ie‚ no reason related to the prosecution itself”.
Selfe said that “in the absence of any legitimate factual or legal reasons‚ the DA is led to believe that these charges were dropped to serve a political agenda”.
He said that Zuma could “argue that he was being prosecuted for malicious political reasons” and a “competent court decide on the merits of such representations”.
“It was not for the NPA‚ acting at the president’s behest‚ to simply drop the charges without legal basis.
“This remains in an effort to keep President Zuma out of court and answering for the charges for which he should stand accused.”
DA ‘optimistic’ court will receive arguments on Zuma charges ‘favourably’
“The court’s willingness to engage this case to date bodes well for the discharge of justice‚” said the party’s James Selfe a day before the North Gauteng High Court was to hear the case.
“We are optimistic that the court will receive our arguments favourably and come to a determination to set aside the decision to drop the charges against President Zuma.”
He said the party the decision – made by then acting National Director of Public Prosecutions‚ advocate Mokotedi Mpshe – “was born out of irrational political considerations not based in law or due process”.
“Mpshe has now desperately attempted to distance himself from this decision…‚” Selfe said‚ adding that Mpshe’s confirms — in his supplementary confirmatory affidavit — that “the decision to prosecute Zuma had been taken‚ and the prosecution would be instituted as soon as possible because there was no legitimate reason to delay it- ie‚ no reason related to the prosecution itself”.
Selfe said that “in the absence of any legitimate factual or legal reasons‚ the DA is led to believe that these charges were dropped to serve a political agenda”.
He said that Zuma could “argue that he was being prosecuted for malicious political reasons” and a “competent court decide on the merits of such representations”.
“It was not for the NPA‚ acting at the president’s behest‚ to simply drop the charges without legal basis.
“This remains in an effort to keep President Zuma out of court and answering for the charges for which he should stand accused.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos