Mbeki: Presume Zuma innocent
21/12/2007 19:08  - (SA)  

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Pretoria - President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday new ANC leader Jacob Zuma, facing corruption accusations, should be presumed innocent and the law should be allowed to take its course.

Mbeki, deposed by Zuma as leader of the governing party, said he had no inside information on whether prosecutors would charge Zuma, but that it was important the principle of presumption of innocence be maintained.

"I don't know what the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) intend to do.

"They haven't said anything to me, but if they proceed as is reported we would all of us say that we would allow the road to take its course," Mbeki told a news conference in Pretoria.

"The message we would like to communicate to the rest of world is the fact that allegations are made does not mean it should be assumed, presumed to be correct.

"The very laying of charges does indeed tarnish one, but we have to insist on this and let us all suspend judgement on this matter."

The acting Director of Public Prosecutions said on Thursday the case against Zuma was being finalised and believed there was enough evidence to charge the new ANC leader after a long-running corruption inquiry into a 1999 arms deal.

Zuma was sacked by Mbeki as deputy president in 2005 after his financial advisor was jailed for corruption for soliciting bribes on behalf of Zuma.

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