JUDGMENT in the application for postponement in former President Jacob Zuma’s fraud and corruption case has been reserved until Tuesday morning at 10h00.
Earlier Zuma’s lawyers argued that the virtual hearing of his case will heavily compromise his right to a fair trial.
They said it would be difficult to conduct a trial on a virtual platform when Zuma is in prison in Escourt, advocate Dali Mpofu in Johannesburg, and the entire legal team is scattered across the country.
Zuma’s lawyers added that it would be unfair for the matter to be heard on a virtual platform as Zuma has the right to a trial being conducted in his presence.
Mpofu told the court Zuma has already been convicted and sentenced by the Constitutional Court in absentia.
Advocate Wim Trengrove, for the state, labeled the application and the special plea for an acquittal as delay tactics.
“The accused has for more than 10 years taken every point in the book to avoid having his day in the court. He desperately seeks to avoid answer the charges of corruption, fraud, and money laundering made against him.
“He raises objections, again and again, the objections raised today are objects which were raised and decided against him by the Supreme Court of Appeal in spy tapes case and by the full bench in the stay of prosecution,” said Trengrove.
He said 135 paragraphs of Zuma’s heads of argument in his special plea are cut and paste from his application for rescission at the Constitutional Court.
Trengrove said the decision on whether the matter must be held virtually lies with Judge Piet Koen but pointed out that Zuma relies on a law that speaks about oral evidence when he does not propose to do so.
- Inside Politics
