South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma on Friday lodged a court application to try to have quashed $2.5-billion corruption case linked to a 1990s arms deal, state prosecutors said.
Zuma has been charged with 16 counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to the arms deal dating back to before he took office in 2009.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), told AFP that Zuma’s lawyers filed papers at the High Court in Durban requesting a “permanent stay of prosecution”.
“I can confirm that (the application has been filed),” she said on the phone.
Zuma, 76, is due back in court for a hearing on November 30.