— 02/28/2008
ZUMA'S ROLE IN ARMS DEAL CORRUPTION, COURT TOLD

(28/2/2008 )
 
ANC president 'met French company in London in arms deal negotiation'
Jacob Zuma, the president of the African National Congress and reigning candidate to become President of South Africa following general elections next year, actively and personally used his political status to attempt to secure an arms deal contract for his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik (to whom he was deeply in debt), the Constitutional Court was told on Tuesday this week. According to a submission by Shaik's counsel, Martin Brassey, Zuma attended a meeting on 2 July 1998 at the offices in Whitehall, London, of the British Department of Defence together with Shaik and Jean-Paul Perrier, head of the French arms company Thomson France, in order to 'smooth over' difficulties relating to transfer of shares to Shaik's Black Economic Empowerment company, Nkobi Holdings. Papers submitted to the court indicated that Zuma was at that time visiting Britain in his official capacity as deputy president of the ruling African National Congress. Shares in the company concerned, African Defence Systems - a beneficiary of ANC government arms deal contracts - were later transferred to Shaik's company. Brassey told the court that it was not possible to know Zuma's real intent when attending the meeting in London, as he had not taken the witness stand during Shaik's trial for fraud and corruption in 2005 which resulted in Shaik being sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
 
Zuma's intervention to secure arms contract for Shaik alleged
According to Advocate Wim Trengrove (for the state), worried that unfavourable comments about him by another businessman might jeopardise his stake in the arms deal, Shaik had earlier sent a telefax to the head of Thomson France, saying that Zuma was extremely concerned about the conduct of the group in South Africa and had requested a meeting in Durban to address these concerns. He had copied the letter to President Thabo Mbeki, then the president of the ANC and to Zuma, then ANC deputy president. Shaik had 'loudly, brashly and prominently used Zuma as a carrot to persuade Thomson to go into business with him,' said Trengove, according to the South African Press Association. In discussing the matter with Zuma, Shaik had asked Zuma to 'redress these ill-conceived views' that he was an unsuitable South African partner for Thomson.
 
Zuma 'in Shaik's camp because Shaik paid him' - counsel
'Why did Thomson go into business with Shaik? Was it because of his arms business experience, his wealth or his charm,' asked Trengrove, as reported in The Star (27 February). 'The answer is obvious: they did it because Mr Zuma was in Mr Shaik's camp, and Mr Zuma was in his camp because Mr Shaik was paying him to be in his camp. Shaik could wave him (Zuma) as his prize to anyone who got into bed with him', Trengove said. Describing Advocate Brassey's argument as 'conceptually flawed', he said Zuma's intervention to Thomson on Shaik's behalf was not an isolated incident but had been proved to be 'part of a pattern of conduct'. Trengove also questioned why, if Zuma had intervened on Shaik's behalf out of friendship, 'he would have paid so highly for something he could have had for free'. In the end, he said, Shaik 'bribed Mr Zuma for his protection, and intervention and political influence. It's a matter of historical fact that the bribe got him (Shaik) the benefit (of the shares)'. This is the most damning evidence so far alleging corruption by Zuma in the arms deal, all the more damning since it includes evidence presented by counsel acting for his convicted financial adviser, Schabir Shaik. Chickens are flying home to roost like a flock of homing pigeons. (For full Sapa report, (see here).