NPA will not bring additional charges against Thales

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will not be bringing additional charges against former president Jacob Zuma's co-accused‚ Thales South Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Moipone Noko on Tuesday confirmed that the state would not amend the indictment against the French arms company.

“The State has complied with the court order. We have advised the defence that we will not be amending the indictment‚" she told TimesLIVE.

The Pietermaritzburg High Court had given the state 14 days to provide clarity to Thales' legal team after defence advocate Anton Katz SC pointed out that the proposed additional charge did not exist in South African law.

At Zuma's court appearance in Pietermaritzburg last month‚ Katz referred to the charge mentioned in a letter from axed NPA boss Shaun Abrahams to Thales’ legal team.

“I have requested the prosecuting team to provide me with their views on the prospects of proffering charges against your client in terms of section 5(b) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act‚" Abrahams wrote in the letter. Katz told the court that he was confused as the charge did not exist.

Prosecutor Billy Downer SC admitted that no such section existed in the Act.

The company's representative‚ Christine Guerrier‚ was not in the dock with Zuma when he appeared on July 27‚ as the court excused her from appearing.

Thales is charged with one count of racketeering‚ two counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. Zuma faces 16 charges that include fraud‚ corruption and racketeering.

These charges relate to 783 payments which he allegedly received as a bribe to protect Thales from an investigation into the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal. The alleged bribe was facilitated by Zuma’s former financial adviser‚ Schabir Shaik.

Zuma will appear in court again on November 30.