President Thabo Mbeki is expected to be called as a witness in former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial, reports The Sunday Independent.
It is understood that Mbeki and a number of Cabinet ministers have been informed they are witnesses, the newspaper said.
Mbeki will be asked to testify about a letter sent in January 2001 by Zuma, as leader of government business, to Gavin Woods, the then head of Parliament’s public accounts committee (Scopa).
The newspaper said it was understood Zuma claimed that although he signed the letter, it was actually written by Mbeki, working in tandem with a cluster of ministers who were at the time tasked with ”sorting out” the arms deal.
The letter informed Scopa that further investigations into the arms deal were unnecessary.
If Mbeki testifies it will be the first time a South African head of state has been called to court as a witness in a criminal trial.
The Presidency was not immediately available for comment. – Sapa