NPA adamant it has 'watertight' case against Zuma, Thales
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reiterated its belief that has watertight case against former president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a much-postponed corruption case dating back more than two decades.
He is in the dock together with French arms manufacturer Thales.
"We have a watertight case,” NPA spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said.
“We have eighteen charges and have put those charges before the accused and in fact, if you listen to their rebuttal, there is no single point case that they say we have cooked the charges.
"We have the allegations, we have strong evidence, strong and credible two-hundred-and-seventeen witnesses that are prepared to come here and testify. So yes, we have a strong case."
Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering relating to a 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms for R30 billion rand..
The former president also applied to have prosecutor Billy Downer removed from the case, but Ngwema believes the application is mere delaying tactics.
"There are issues that they are recycling in court that have been dealt and even when you listen to the gist of the argument, it has got very little to do with Billy, even if those things have taken place.
"Now they must come with proof in terms of what they are alleging. Their sources and also annexures that are able to prove the allegations they are making. But it is clear that the tactics is once again to delay."
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