Pretoria – South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on Monday, said it would appeal against a High Court ruling that corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma should be reinstated.
Ruling on the case brought by the opposition in April, the High Court said it was “irrational” for the NPA to drop the more than 700 charges against Zuma in 2009.
The NPA Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, while addressing the newsmen in Pretoria, said he decided to apply for leave to appeal against the judgment.
He said that he had instructed a state attorney to appeal to the Supreme Court against the ruling.
“I will carry out my duties irrespective of who the suspect is without fear or favor,’’ he added.
In early 1999, Zuma was charged with fraud and corruption in contracts worth about 30 billion rand (about 1.9 billion dollars at current rate) in an arms procurement deal with European countries.
The NPA withdrew the charges, citing conspiracy against Zuma, weeks before the 2009 election in which Zuma won the presidency. (Xinhua/NAN)
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