Overview
- The pair returned to the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday to challenge the dismissal of their bid to be acquitted in the arms-deal case.
- Defense lawyers argue the deaths of former Thales directors Pierre Moynot and Alain Thetard prevent them from mounting a meaningful defense.
- In a June ruling, Judge Nkosinathi Chili held that courts cannot halt a prosecution because that authority rests with the National Prosecuting Authority.
- The judge also emphasized the public’s interest in the matter and said it is speculative to claim no other witnesses could aid the defense.
- The state says repeated interlocutory applications, including several by Jacob Zuma, have delayed the case by about 18 years and now seeks an order for the trial to proceed.