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Cape Town – Former president Jacob Zuma may challenge National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams after he announced that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will proceed with prosecution against him.
Abrahams announced on Friday that Zuma’s representations to avoid his day in court were unsuccessful and that he would be facing 16 charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering.
Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley said that he had received a "terse response" from Abrahams regarding the unsuccessful representations.
"The rationale for this decision is not clearly apparent from the communication, nor is the basis for refusal," said Hulley.
It appears that the likely course of action is to take the NDPP’s decision on review, according to Hulley.
"This decision will however only be made after careful consideration and consultation with Mr Zuma."
The charges were reinstated nine years after former NDPP Mokotedi Mpshe "irrationally" dropped the charges in 2009, based on the recordings of the so-called "Spy-tapes" presented by Zuma's legal team.
The tapes were made up of recordings of telephone conversations between then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka, which Zuma's legal team claimed showed political interference in the decision to charge him.
Zuma was signed in as president after the charges were withdrawn.
