The state filed papers in the in the Durban High Court on Monday morning in its attempt to obtain documents from Mauritius relating to accusations of corruption against Jacob Zuma.
The papers had already been served on Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thint on Friday.
Both Zuma and Thint oppose the state’s attempts to secure the documents, which apparently pertain to meetings between Zuma, Thint and Schabir Shaik, from Mauritius.
On December 12 last year, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) asked the Durban High Court to issue a letter of request to the Mauritian Attorney General under the International Cooperation in Criminal Matters Act.
In accordance with a ruling by Judge Phillip Levinsohn, lawyers for Zuma and Thint filed papers last month opposing the application. The NPA was supposed to file its response by Friday.
The matter will be argued in the Pietermaritzburg High Court from March 22 to 25.
The documents include the 2000 diary of former Thint chief executive Alain Thetard, which allegedly details a meeting between him, Zuma and convicted Durban businessman Shaik.
Shaik was convicted of fraud and two counts of corruption by Judge Hilary Squires in July 2005.
The documents filed on Monday in the Durban High Court include an affidavit by Isak du Plooy, a special investigator employed by the Scorpions, and an affidavit by Phyllis Atkinson, a former deputy director of prosecutions.
In March 2006, the NPA tried to get a similar letter of request, but Judge Pete Combrinck ruled that it had to be granted by the trial judge hearing the case against Zuma.
In September last year, Judge Herbert Msimang struck the case against Zuma and Thint from the roll after the state had sought a postponement pending the outcome of Shaik’s appeal, and a challenge to the search-and-seizure raids carried out on the homes and businesses of Zuma, his attorneys and Thint.
The outstanding Mauritian documents were at the time presented to the court as a reason for the postponement of the case. — Sapa