Lawyers for African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma will meet the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Friday, a spokesperson said on Monday.
”There is a plan, that on Friday, we will make representations to the NPA as part of the continuous process that we’ve been engaged in,” said Zuma’s lawyer, Michael Hulley.
”It is a follow-up as part of the overall process,” he added.
Last Tuesday the ANC leader’s legal team submitted representations regarding his corruption case to the NPA.
The content of the representations have not been disclosed.
NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali confirmed the Friday meeting.
”Representations are normally done on the basis of making written submissions. However, there isn’t any hard and fast rule and where parties feel they would like to supplement the representations by way of making oral submissions, they are also afforded an opportunity to do that,” said Tlali.
”That is what is going to happen in this case.”
Zuma, the ruling party’s presidential candidate in general elections scheduled for April, is facing charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering related to a multibillion-rand government arms deal.
Earlier this month the PIetermartizburg High Court provisionally set his trial down for August 25, meaning that Zuma will emerge from the election with a criminal prosecution hanging over his head. Zuma is expected to apply for a permanent stay of prosecution on the same day.
In January the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) overturned a ruling made last year by Judge Chris Nicholson, which held that the charges against the ANC president were invalid.
The January ruling allowed the NPA to continue pursuing its corruption case against Zuma. — Sapa