PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted angrily to former President Jacob Zuma instituting private prosecution against him.
Ramaphosa said that this was a clear abuse of the legal processes, adding that the case is hopelessly sub-standard and shows a complete disregard of the rule of law.
Said the Presidency in a statement: “The summon served to the President is hopelessly sub-standard and demonstrate absolute disregard of the law.”
The Presidency said Zuma didn’t produce a certificate of non-prosecution with charges in the name of Ramaphosa.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa rejects with the utmost contempt Mr. Jacob Zuma’s abuse of legal processes and perversion of the ‘nolle prosequi’ (private prosecution) provision,” said presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
“Mr Zuma charges that President Ramaphosa is an ‘accessory after the fact’ in a criminal offence alleged against Advocate William Downer – the allegation is that Advocate Downer improperly shared information, in terms of the NPA Act. Mr Zuma’s charges are based on an accusation that President Ramaphosa failed to act after Mr. Zuma complained about improper conduct by Advocates Downer and Breitenbach. These charges are completely spurious and unfounded.”
“President Ramaphosa does not interfere in the work of the NPA, nor does he have the power to do so. The President responded to Mr Zuma and took appropriate and legally permissible action.”
The Jacob Zuma Foundation said on Thursday that Ramaphosa has been “criminally charged.”
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has been charged in a private prosecution with the criminal offence of being accessory after the fact in the crimes committed by among others Advocate Downer namely, breaching the provisions if the NPA Act,” the Foundation said.
“The serious crimes for which Mr Ramaphosa has been charged with in a court of law carry the sentence of 15 years imprisonment.”
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