Zuma has no case in bid to remove me from arms deal matter, says Advocate Downer

State advocate Billy Downer says former President Jacob Zuma’s latest bid to remove him from the arms deal corruption case is dead in the water.

Zuma earlier this year brought another application aimed at Downer’s removal, based on his allegations that the seasoned prosecutor had illegally leaked his confidential medical information to the press.

The same allegations were raised, and dismissed, in Zuma’s failed special plea, which was also ultimately aimed at getting Downer kicked off the case.

In this application, though, Zuma places emphasis on the fact that he had since then launched a private prosecution against Downer over the allegations.

But with that private prosecution now having been reviewed and set aside, Downer said that Zuma’s arguments had been put to bed.

Earlier this month, the Pietermaritzburg High Court reviewed and set aside the court summons Zuma had issued Downer.

And on the back of that ruling, Downer’s now filed a supplementary affidavit in which he again says Zuma’s latest application for his removal from the case should be dismissed.

In reviewing and setting aside the court summons, the court this month found Zuma’s private prosecution of Downer was an abuse of the process and, essentially, a delaying tactic.

It also found that there was no violation of the NPA Act, as Zuma had charged.

And against this backdrop, Downer basically says Zuma has no case.

-EWN

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