Zuma facing 6 month prison sentence, warns legal expert
Advocate of the High Court James Grant says former president Jacob Zuma could be handed a six-month prison sentence if he is found to have been in contempt of the commission of inquiry into state capture.
This morning, Justice Zondo also said the commission would approach the Constitutional Court on an urgent basis for an order to compel Zuma to appear before the inquiry.
The commission’s chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, announced on Monday that the commission will be laying a criminal complaint against Zuma.
This after the former president left the commission without permission on Thursday following the dismissal of his application to have Zondo recuse himself.
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The summons issued by the commission for Zuma to appear before it is still valid.
Grant says being in contempt of the summons is a criminal offence.
"The criminal charge follows from a section in the Commissions Act which sets out offences which can be committed by a witness. One of them is that if you are under a summons to be there and answer questions and you excuse yourself from the commission. Anybody can lay the charge.
"Zuma could be sentenced to a maximum of six months in prison and for an ex-president the consequences are serious. The investigation shouldn't take long because all the evidence is effectively recorded and easily available.”
