JURIST - Paper Chase: South Africa high court allows Zuma documents in possible corruption trial

[JURIST] South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal [official website] ruled Thursday that warrants for documents seized from former Deputy President Jacob Zuma [advocacy website; party profile] were lawfully obtained, and could be used against him in any potential corruption trial. The court heard arguments in the case [JURIST report], filed by the country's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) [official website], in September. The decision overturns a 2006 lower court ruling that the documents were inadmissible because police did not follow proper procedures in obtaining the warrants.

The NPA has alleged that Zuma received bribes from arms manufacturer Thint, a subsidiary of the France-based Thales Group [corporate website]. Zuma, who was reinstated [JURIST report] as the African National Congress [party website] deputy president after being acquitted of rape charges [JURIST report] last year, has indicated his intention to run against South African President Thabo Mbeki [BBC profile] in the 2009 presidential election. Reuters has more.

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