South Africa’s Ex-president Zuma Pleads Not Guilty For Multi-billion Dollar Arms Deal

A former South African president, Jacob Zuma has pleaded not guilty in a corruption trial involving a $5 billion arms deal from the 1990s.

He is facing 16 counts of racketeering, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

Mr Zuma blames political enemies in the governing African National Congress (ANC) party for his legal troubles.

The arms deal involved buying new fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and warships.

But questions emerged about the deal months after it was signed, with some critics saying the government should have spent the money on fighting poverty.

Mr Zuma was South Africa’s president from 2009 until 2018 when he was forced to resign after a vote of no confidence.

On Wednesday crowds gathered outside the courthouse in Pietermaritzburg city in KwaZulu-Natal province to cheer on Mr Zuma, who still enjoys some popular support.

The former president’s defence team called for the removal of state prosecutor Billy Downer, on the grounds that he had “no title to prosecute”.

But the presiding judge ruled that the matter would be dealt with on 19 July.

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