Zuma to lay criminal charges against Billy Downer for ‘leaking’ his medical records: Manyi

Former president Jacob Zuma will open a criminal case against state prosecutor Billy Downer for allegedly leaking his medical records.

Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson for the JG Zuma Foundation, told TimesLIVE Zuma will lay the charges at the Pietermaritzburg police station on Thursday.

He said the foundation will share further details of the case during a media briefing outside the police station on Thursday afternoon.

Manyi said the charges emanated from the court proceedings on September 22, which Zuma could not attend due to ill health. However, the state said the National Prosecuting Authority’s doctors found that Zuma was fit to stand trial.

The proceedings were about Zuma’s special plea for Downer’s removal as lead prosecutor in his trial relating to charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering in connection with the multibillion-rand arms deal.

The former president’s legal team called the NPA “vultures” for apparently bringing in doctors recommended by the state to examine Zuma before his medical specialists could do so.  

Zuma’s advocate Dali Mpofu also argued that Downer had leaked Zuma’s medical report to a journalist and told the court this was reason enough to remove him. 

“Former president Zuma takes the strongest possible exception to what was done with his confidential information and the way it was treated in this court,” said Mpofu.

He added Zuma’s legal team wanted to lodge a complaint of misconduct with Judge Piet Koen, who is deciding on Zuma’s application for a special plea.