Judgment expected in arms deal commission challenge

The North Gauteng High Court is expected to hand down judgment on the application brought forward by two civil society groups to review and set aside the findings of the Seriti Arms Deal Commission.

Two civil society groups are holding their breaths, as the North Gauteng High Court is expected on Wednesday to hand down judgment in their application to review and set aside the findings of the Seriti arms deal commission.

Corruption Watch and the Right2Know Campaign challenged the findings of the commission, which was set up by former president Jacob Zuma in September 2011.

Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Willie Seriti was appointed to head the four-year inquiry into allegations of corruption and fraud in the arms-procurement deal in 1999, in which navy frigates, fighter jets, submarines and helicopters costing billions of rand were purchased by South Africa.

The total expenditure on the arms deal from 2000/01 to 2013/14 amounted to R46.7bn, R30bn envisaged in 2009.

At previous court appearances, the two civil society groups argued that the report which found no evidence of corruption, was "flawed".