A South African corruption inquiry has ordered that a criminal complaint be filed with police against the former president after he absconded from the investigation into the country’s biggest post-apartheid graft scandal.
Last week Jacob Zuma defied a subpoena and walked out of the Johannesburg base of the inquiry, which is investigating claims of systemic corruption during his nine-year tenure.
On Monday Raymond Zondo, the inquiry’s presiding judge, ordered that a criminal complaint be filed against Mr Zuma for defiance of the summons to answer evidence relating to his involvement.
The criminal complaint was necessary “given the seriousness of Mr. Zuma’s conduct and the impact it may have on the work of the commission, and the need to ensure we give effect to the constitutional provisions that all are equal before the law”, Mr. Zondo, South Africa’s deputy chief justice, said. He will also issue a fresh summons for Mr. Zuma.
