afrol News, 12 March - President of South Africa's governing African National Congress Jacob Zuma appeared before the Constitutional Court, challenging the validity of warrants that allowed seizure of documents to be used against him during his corruption trial in August.

The court heard four applications, including that of Zuma and the French arms company Thint, appealing against three judgments of the Supreme Court of Appeal on 8 November 2007.

The litigants believed the state had erred for carrying out searches in Zuma's premises on 18 August 2005 as it launched investigation against the sacked deputy President. The searched had taken place after Mr Zuma's financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was convicted of fraud and corruption for paying R500,000 bribe to Zuma annually to support and protect Thint during the arms deal process.

Despite losing at the Supreme Court of Appeal, Zuma and Thint maintained that the warrants granted by Transvaal Judge President Bernard Ngoepe remained invalid, they were "over-broad."

Zuma's lawyer, Kemp J Kemp, faulted the state for not attaching an affidavit, directing the investigators the exact information they should look for, which would have prevented the seizure of documents not related to the case.

The ANC leader's lawyer said the search could infringe on Zuma's right to fair trial. Kemp said investigators went away with only boxes of his client's financial records, despite listing several items on the warrant.

The lawyer of the French arms company, Peter Hodes, would not understand why Thint had become a target of investigation against Mr Zuma after it had handed over massive amounts of documents to the National Prosecuting Authority.

The state advocate, Wim Trengove countered Kemp and Hodes, describing their applications as "complaints in theory."

He said their action in the Constitutional Court was an attempt "to keep evidence from the state".

"They haven't made any attempt to prove that they would suffer an injustice at all."

Zuma was earlier acquitted of rape trial.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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