Former South African President, Jacob Zuma, is expected to face trial on Tuesday on 16 counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
The accusations specify that during his reign as President, 2009-2018, he took bribes from the French defence company Thales which was related to a 1999 multi-billion-dollar arms purchase, which he oversaw as vice president.
Zuma tried in March to have his case permanently dismissed however High Court Judge Wilie Sertie ruled against him; agreeing with the prosecution that aspects of his case we "scandalous and or vexatious".
Charges were first brought against Zuma in 2005 but were dropped in 2009, shortly before he became president and reinstated in 2016.
In 2018, Zuma was forced out of his office due to a separate corruption scandal.
Zuma’s lawyers have refuted the charges, claiming that they are politically motivated and that the significant delay will inevitably lead to an unfair trial. To avoid facing trial, he may still appeal the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court.
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