Jacob Zuma demands that NPA boss Batohi remove Downer ahead of arms deal trial

Former president Jacob Zuma’s lawyers have written to NPA boss Shamilah Batohi, demanding that prosecutor Billy Downer be removed from the upcoming arms deal corruption trial.

The beleaguered former president’s court bid to have Downer recused from the case failed in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) last week.

The appeal court ruled that there is no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard, paving the way for the long-delayed trial to go ahead on Monday, as was previously agreed between the parties in the case.

According to a local publication report, Zuma’s lawyers complained to Batohi that Downer “has steadfastly failed and/or refused to step down despite numerous requests and demands for him to do so”.

The letter is reportedly contained in an affidavit filed by Zuma’s attorney ahead of the court sitting on Monday.

They accused Downer, among other things, of sharing confidential information such as Zuma’s medical records. These happened to be the documents filed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court as part of Zuma’s application to have the criminal case postponed on medical grounds.

Downer, said the attorneys, “violated” the NPA’s prosecution policy.

“It is, therefore, your constitutional duty to intervene by taking all the necessary steps aimed at the removal or recusal of Downer from the prosecution,” the lawyers were quoted as saying in the report.

They also requested Batohi to investigate Zuma’s various complaints against the veteran prosecutor.

The 79-year-old Zuma faces multiple charges of fraud and corruption alongside French arms dealer Thales over the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal struck back in the 1990s.

Zuma and a representative of Thales pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Zuma completed two presidency terms with the arms deal allegations hanging over his head, in the long-running case dubbed the “Stalingrad” legal defence.

According to the report, the former president’s lawyers will on Monday seek a postponement of the trial.