BFF-68 Zuma son in S.Africa court on corruption charges

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SAFRICA-POLITICS-CORRUPTION-LEAD

Zuma son in S.Africa court on corruption charges

JOHANNESBURG, July 9, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Duduzane Zuma, the son of scandal-
hit former South African president Jacob Zuma, appeared in ankle shackles in
a Johannesburg court on Monday on corruption charges before being released on
bail.

Duduzane, 34, worked for the Gupta family, which is accused of corrupt
dealings with his father’s government, including being granted lucrative
government contracts and influencing ministerial appointments.

Underlining the Zuma family’s dramatic change of fortunes, he was charged
over involvement in a bribe allegedly offered to former deputy finance
minister Mcebisi Jonas by the Guptas in 2015.

“He is charged with corruption for offering undue gratification to a
public officer,” National Prosecution Authority spokesman Phindi Mjonondwane
told reporters.

“The state did not oppose bail because he has been cooperating.”

Jonas has said in a sworn statement that the Guptas offered him the post
of finance minister in return for obeying the family’s instructions — for
which he would allegedly be paid 600 million rand ($50 million, 42.5 million
euros).

“The charges are based on allegations made by Mcebisi Jonas,” Duduzane’s
lawyer, Rudi Krause, said, adding that his client denied all wrongdoing.

Zuma was granted 100,000 rand bail and the case was postponed until
January 24.

He was ordered to surrender his two passports and report to a police
station twice a week.

Duduzane is due back in court on Thursday on culpable homicide charges
over a deadly car crash in 2014 when his Porsche hit a minibus in
Johannesburg killing a woman.

Jacob Zuma, 76, was forced to resign in February as criticism grew from
within the ruling ANC party over multiple corruption scandals.

The former president has been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to
an arms deal from before he became president and is expected to face trial
from November.

Zuma’s successor as president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has vowed to crack down
on government corruption, which he has admitted was a serious problem.

BSS/AFP/RY/1906 hrs