Jacob Zuma Karyn Maughan

Zuma wants Maughan, Downer privately prosecuted
Photos sourced via Twitter @karynmaughan and GCIS

Zuma’s prosecution of Downer, Maughan to be heard next year

Ex-president Jacob Zuma accuses Billy Downer, the prosecutor in the arms deal, of leaking his medical records to journalist Karyn Maughan

Jacob Zuma Karyn Maughan

Zuma wants Maughan, Downer privately prosecuted
Photos sourced via Twitter @karynmaughan and GCIS

The High Court in Pietermaritzburg has postponed former president Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution of Advocate Billy Downer and News24 journalist Karyn Maughan to 2 February 2023.

Zuma opened a criminal case against Downer, the lead prosecutor in his arms deal corruption trial. He claimed Downer leaked his medical records to Maughan.

ALSO READ

DOWNER, MAUGHAN TO FIGHT ZUMA PROSECUTION

Jacob Zuma’s bid to have Billy Downer and Karyn Maughan privately prosecuted may not even be heard next year as the pair have approached the courts to have the charges he has brought against them dismissed as an abuse of process. The matter will be heard on 8 and 9 December 2022.

Zuma has been gunning for Downer, accusing him of acting unethically as a prosecutor, and wants him removed from the trial. As for Maughan, Zuma is accusing her of bias, in addition to leaking his confidential medical records.

Maughan hit back at Zuma, accusing him of attempting to intimidate her and preventing her from doing her job and reporting on his arms deal trial. She said Zuma’s medical records were attached to court papers and were provided by his lawyers after presiding judge Piet Koen asked that they provide proof he was too ill to attend proceedings, as he had claimed.

Downer reckons this is just another tactic by Zuma to avoid going to trial for the arms deal.

“All his challenges have ultimately failed, but only after he had pursued them to the bitter end. His ultimate goal has been never to face his day in court. Mr Zuma launched his challenges one by one, each starting only when the previous one failed, to maintain, extend and prolong their impact over time.”

Advocate Billy Downer
Tags: