NPA withdraws Thint charges
2008-10-06 12:32
Durban - Charges against Jacob Zuma's co-accused - the South African subsidiaries of French arms manufacturing giant Thales International - were on Monday provisionally withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority.
NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali confirmed that the charges had been provisionally withdrawn.
The two Thint companies - Thint Holding (Southern Africa) Pty Ltd and Thint (Pty) Ltd - each faced one count of racketeering, two of corruption and one of money-laundering in the case in which it was accused of paying Zuma a bribe in return for protection from probes into alleged irregularities in a multi-million rand arms deal.
The withdrawal of the charges follows the setting aside of charges against Zuma by Pietermaritzburg High Court judge Chris Nicholson last month because Zuma had not been given a chance to make representations to the NPA when it decided to press charges against him for a second time.
The NPA last week filed an application for leave to appeal against the Nicholson ruling.
- SAPA