South Africa's President Jacob Zuma must face charges of
corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering, the Supreme Court of
Appeal has ruled.
It agreed with a lower court ruling last year that
prosecutors could bring back 783 counts of corruption relating to a 1999 arms
deal.
The charges had been set aside eight years ago, enabling Mr
Zuma to become president. The president has always maintained his innocence.
In a statement, Mr Zuma's office said the ruling was
"disappointing", but anticipated.
The president now expected South Africa's National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to consider representations from his legal team
before making a decision about whether to prosecute him, it added.
The charges relate to Mr Zuma's relationship with a
businessman, Shabir Shaik, who was tried and found guilty in 2005 of soliciting
bribes from a French arms company "for the benefit of Zuma".
Mr Zuma and other government officials have been accused of
taking kickbacks from the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and other
arms.
Charges were first brought against Mr Zuma in 2005 but
dropped by prosecutors in 2009.
Last year, the High Court in the capital, Pretoria, ruled
in a case brought by the opposition Democratic Alliance that he should face the
charges.
Mr Zuma went on to lodge a challenge with the Supreme Court
of Appeal. BBC
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