Spy Tapes: Arbitrator appointed to hand over NPA records to the DA

Oscar Thomas

24 August 2014

The legal teams representing the DA, President Zuma and the NPA have agreed on an arbitrator to review the full set of Spy Tapes records for release to the DA.

The National Prosecuting Authority originally used these records to drop over 700 counts of corruption against President Jacob Zuma.

This historic milestone in the Spy tapes saga follows an agreement in the Supreme Court of Appeal on 15 August, whereby all parties were given until today to identify an arbitrator who would review the NPA’s records for release to the DA’s legal team.

DA provincial communications director Jamie Turkington said Importantly, President Zuma’s legal team also conceded in court that there was no legal basis for withholding the Spy Tapes records from the DA.

Turkington said an agreement was reached yesterday to appoint retired SCA Judge Noel Hurt to act as an arbitrator.

“Only records determined by the arbitrator to be part of President Zuma’s confidential submissions to the NPA, and therefore privileged, will not be released to the DA.The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on all parties Turkington added.