Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s spokesperson Lakela Kaunda said Zuma ”vehemently denies” the allegations of bribery and corruption being made against him.
”He believes the allegations are baseless, mischievous and unfortunate as he has not been involved in any such unlawful activity and was far removed from the arms procurement process,” she said.
”The deputy president cannot respond to the allegations in detail as there is an investigation going on, but will be ready to defend himself should the matter come before any court of law.”
She was responding this week from Tanzania, where Zuma is still attempting to broker a lasting peace for Burundi.
Responding to the allegations against himself and Zuma, Schabir Shaik told the Mail & Guardian that he could not comment in detail as the matter was sub judice.
”The truth about this matter must come out in court.”
He said he was Zuma’s personal financial adviser and thus had to deal with the deputy president’s finances on an ongoing basis.
Shaik said he had been put under tremendous pressure in a bid to get him to testify on the matters relating to the allegations against Zuma.
”There has been tremendous pressure, both in my personal capacity and on my business.”
He said that after he was charged with the alleged unauthorised possession of classified documents — for which his trial is still pending — he was faced with a further summons to answer questions that might incriminate him in relation to the allegations against Zuma.
”My attorneys advised me that this attempt to force me to testify about matters for which I may be charged was unlawful.
”If they want to charge me then let’s go to court. But they are not entitled to force me to give them a preview of my defence.”
Shaik said he was in the process of launching a high court challenge to the summons, as well as to the validity of the original search warrant obtained by the Scorpions and used in the raid on his home.
Matt Pothecary, a spokesperson for Thales (formerly Thomson-CSF), the French arms company implicated in the bribe allegations, said neither the company nor individual company employees named in the Scorpions investigation wished to comment to the M&G.
Related:
Scorpions probe Jacob Zuma 29 November 2002