French Firm Implicated In Arms Deal Corruption Case Appeals Permanent Stay Denial Judgment With SCA, ConCourt

Riyaz Patel

Thales, the French arms manufacturer that has been accused of corruption alongside former president Jacob Zuma, has filed a conditional application with the High Court for leave to appeal the denial of its permanent stay of prosecution at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

It has, at the same time, filed a direct appeal with the Constitutional Court.

The grounds for the company’s ConCourt appeal have been laid out in an affidavit by employee Christine Guerrier who has been representing the company in court.

In its High Court application, Thales assert that judges Jerome Mnguni, Esther Steyn and Thoba Poyo-Dlwati sitting at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.“erred” on several fronts in October when unanimously rejecting the firm’s bid for a permanent stay.

“The Full Court’s rejection of Thales’ challenge does not withstand constitutional scrutiny,” the arms company claimed.  

The decision to institute prosecution against Thales was announced by former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun