Documents allege Zuma bankrolled by arms dealer

Thales' South African subsidiary Thint won a R2.6bn contract in 1997 to fit four new navy frigates with combat suites. The documents in the newspaper's possession are transcripts of testimony given under oath before retired Judge Phillip Levinsohn at confidential arbitration hearings held this year in a fee dispute between Sooklal and Thales. The report says the transcripts provide a detailed account of Sooklal's work as a lawyer and secret fixer for Thales for six years. Sooklal claims he is owed R70m in outstanding fees. Thales has offered him R42m. Zuma reportedly declined to respond to detailed questions e-mailed to his spokesperson Mac Maharaj. 'Anyone with information relating to the arms deal should bring it to the attention of the Seriti commission,' Maharaj said.

The Sunday Times says the transcripts allege: Zuma used the code words 'Eiffel Tower' to accept a R500 000-a-year bribe from Thales in return for political protection in the arms deal probe and to secure future business; Thales gave former ANC treasurer Mendi Msimang a cheque for EUR1m (about R14m at today's rates) in April 2006 to be paid from a secret Dubai account into an 'ANC-aligned trust' shortly before the company was due to stand trial for corruption with Zuma; Thales was asked to bankroll the ANC conference at Polokwane in 2007, where Zuma was elected party president, but did not do so; Thales lobbied ANC officials, including former President Thabo Mbeki, former Justice Minister Penuell Maduna, former secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and Msimang to be let off the hook, even enlisting the help of French President Jacques Chirac; and Thales bankrolled Zuma and Sooklal to fly around the world and meet witnesses who could help the ANC president in his forthcoming corruption trial, even when they were unrelated to Thales. The report says that as Deputy President and head of government business at the time, Zuma was also expected to promote the French arms and electronic company's future business ventures in SA in return for his alleged bribe. The arms company has since clinched several lucrative state contracts, noted the report Full Sunday Times report (subscription needed)

The battle to recover the millions spent on Zuma's private residence has shifted into top gear as lawyers representing principal Nkandla resident architect Minenhle Makhanya have been granted read-only access to Zuma's confidential submission to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), notes a Sunday Tribune report. Lawyers for Makhanya, facing a R155m bill from the SIU, said that they will, on Wednesday, go through the President's confidential submission. 'We are happy to be given this waiver by the SIU and if we can get all the 16 parties involved to co-operate with us the process will move much quicker,' lawyer Barnabas Xulu is quoted as saying. Makhanya's lawyers have identified at least 16 companies they are seeking to joinder in a bid to assist Makhanya in the lawsuit. However, some have either folded or their directors cannot be traced, according to Xulu. Full Sunday Tribune report (subscription needed)