Zuma corruption co-accused Thales says it cannot obtain a fair trial
The company is accused of conspiring with Zuma's former financial adviser‚ Schabir Shaik
In a statement ahead of a scheduled court appearance starting on Monday to have the charges against it and former president Jacob Zuma permanently dropped‚ French multinational Thales said that the circumstances of the case‚ which dates back a decade‚ meant a fair trial could not happen. "Bearing in mind the very long delay of this procedure — through no fault of Thales at all — together with a range of factors beyond its control‚ Thales believes it cannot obtain a fair trial‚ as it is entitled to under the SA constitution and international law‚" the statement said. The company added that it had "no knowledge of any transgressions having been committed by any of its employees in relation to the awarding of the contract for the combat systems for SA's corvettes (the arms deal in 1999). "Thales respects the law‚ has a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and has co-operated fully with the local authorities at all times‚ and will continue to do so‚" the statement said. The company is ac...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.