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Senior cardinal convicted in Vatican corruption trial

Senior cardinal convicted in Vatican corruption trial

CARDINAL Angelo Becciu, the most senior Catholic Church official ever to stand trial before a Vatican criminal court, was convicted on Saturday of embezzlement and fraud and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail. The Italian prelate's lawyer, Fabio Viglione, told reporters in the courtroom he would appeal, saying his client was innocent. Becciu, who lives in the Vatican, was expected to remain free for the time being. In all, 10 defendants were accused of crimes including fraud, abuse of office and money laundering. All denied wrongdoing. It took Court President Giuseppe Pignatone 25 minutes to read all the verdicts and…
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EXCLUSIVE: Pope hopes London building last Vatican financial scandal

EXCLUSIVE: Pope hopes London building last Vatican financial scandal

PHILIP PULLELLA POPE Francis said he hoped that the recent sale of a luxury London building at the centre of an ongoing corruption trial meant the Vatican can see the back of financial scandals. Vatican finances were one of the many Church and international topics the 85-year-old pontiff discussed in an exclusive interview with Reuters in his Vatican residence on July 2. In other parts of the interview he denied that he was planning to resign anytime soon, denied that he had cancer, spoke of his hopes to go to Moscow and Kyiv and disclosed that for the first time…
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South Africa’s Zuma granted further delay in corruption trial

South Africa’s Zuma granted further delay in corruption trial

 A South African court granted a further delay in former president Jacob Zuma's arms deal corruption trial, pending the outcome of his latest attempt to have the lead prosecutor taken off the long-running case. Zuma, ousted as head of state in 2018 after nine years in power, has pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering over a $2 billion arms deal in the 1990s. He alleges the lead prosecutor is biased against him, but the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) have so far rejected his attempts to have the prosecutor replaced. Pietermaritzburg High…
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Arms Deal: Zuma  goes for private prosecution

Arms Deal: Zuma  goes for private prosecution

FORMER South African President Jacob Zuma is pursuing private prosecution proceedings to remove the lead prosecutor in an arms deal corruption trial after failed legal challenges, his foundation said on Sunday. Last month the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) torpedoed Zuma's latest bid to have lead prosecutor Billy Downer taken off the case after accusing him of bias and leaking confidential information to a journalist in contravention of the national prosecution act, among other complaints. The SCA dismissed the application for leave to appeal on the grounds that there is no reasonable prospect of success and there is no other…
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SA court grants delay in Zuma’s trial

SA court grants delay in Zuma’s trial

A South African court has granted former President Jacob Zuma's request for a delay in his arms deal corruption trial, and adjourned proceedings for three weeks. Zuma this month started a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, a ruling that triggered some of the worst unrest of the post-apartheid era. He is also accused of receiving kickbacks over a $2 billion arms deal from the 1990s. He pleaded not guilty in May to charges including corruption, fraud and money laundering. He has evaded prosecution for more than a decade, and portrayed himself as the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt.…
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Court grants Zuma postponement

Court grants Zuma postponement

ALEXANDER WINNING and WENDELL ROELF A South African court today adjourned former president Jacob Zuma's arms deal corruption trial to August 10, granting the ex-president the postponement he had applied for so that he can appear in person rather than virtually. Zuma is currently in prison after earlier this month starting a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. On August 10, the court is expected to adjudicate on Zuma's application, raised in a special plea, that leading prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer should recuse himself from the case. The state has opposed the application. Judge Piet Koen has also ordered that…
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No one will ban me, says defiant Magashule

No one will ban me, says defiant Magashule

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER  IN defiance of the conditions of his suspension, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has addressed a group of party members who had gathered outside the Maritzburg High Court to support former President Jacob Zuma on the first trial of his corruption trial. Magashule told the gathering that “I will never be banned from the ANC”. He said he will never leave the ANC.”I will die in the ANC,” he added. His stance, which is expected to attract possible new charges, is in violation of his suspension conditions, which says that he is not allowed to, among others, represent…
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Zuma to enter special plea in corruption trial

Zuma to enter special plea in corruption trial

STAFF REPORTER  SUSPENDED ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and ANC MP, Supra Mahumapelo, also suspended, were among the party members who were in the Maritzburg Magistrates’ Court to support ex-president Jacob Zuma on the first day of his corruption trial. Magashule and Mahumapelo sat next to each other in the public gallery. Two benches in front of them sat KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala. Two benches behind them was Zuma’s son Duduzane. Carl Niehaus, a spokesperson of a faction of the ANC’s Umkhonto we Sizwe veterans, an ever-present at Zuma’s trials, was also in the courtroom.  Patricia de Lille, the South African…
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Zuma’s legal team quits ahead of corruption trial

Zuma’s legal team quits ahead of corruption trial

THE 12-year delay in the trial of former South African President Jacob Zuma looks set to be even longer after his legal team quit three weeks before the start of a trial where he is going to face a plethora of corruption charges. Eric Mabuza, of Eric Mabuza Attorneys, has filed a notice in the Maritzburg High Court, notifying the court of their withdrawal from representing Zuma in the corruption case. The law firm represents Zuma in his other legal battle with the Zondo Commission into state capture, theft and corruption.  Zuma and French arms company Thales are due in…
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Zuma must pay at least R16-million in legal fees

Zuma must pay at least R16-million in legal fees

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER FORMER South African president Jacob Zuma’s legal woes mounted after he failed in his attempt to overturn a high court ruling that stopped the state from paying for his legal fees for his corruption trial. Five judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) today dismissed Zuma’s appeal, he must now pay back an estimated R16-million in legal fees incurred by the state.  Zuma went to the SCA after the Gauteng High Court found that there was no sound legal basis for the state to pay for his defence in the corruption trial where he faces over…
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