Former South African President Jacob Zuma’s defense team has announced that Zuma has filed a new complaint to challenge Judge Billy Downer.
Judge Billy Downer, in charge of his corruption case related to an arms deal, is accused of partiality and of revealing his client’s private medical records.
Zuma is accused of fraud and corruption in connection with the controversial 1999 arms deal with French company Thales, which is why he appeared in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
This request for recusal against Judge Downer was confirmed by Zuma’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu.
In May 2022, Zuma’s defense team submitted a special plea to disqualify Downer under the Criminal Procedure Act, arguing that he was “biased” and unqualified to hear his case.