South Africa prosecutors charge Zuma with corruption, fraud News
South Africa prosecutors charge Zuma with corruption, fraud

[JURIST] South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) [official website] Friday served an indictment on politician Jacob Zuma [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], charging him with corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering. His trial is scheduled to begin in August. Earlier this month, Zuma was elected leader of the ruling African National Congress [party website], putting him in position to become the country's next president. Zuma's supporters have dismissed the charges [JURIST report] as politically motivated.

Zuma has been facing corruption allegations [BBC timeline] and other charges for several years; he was first charged with corruption in 2005, but those charges were later dismissed [JURIST report] because prosecutors failed to follow proper procedures. Zuma was also charged with rape in late 2005 and was acquitted at trial in April 2006. Prosecutors have not provided details about the current charges, but they are believed to be connected to bribe money Zuma allegedly received from Thint, a French arms manufacturer. AP has more. Reuters has additional coverage. From South Africa, the Times has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, murdered by Henry II's knights

On December 29, 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights acting in the name of Henry II.

Becket and Henry had been entangled in a power struggle over, among other things, criminal jurisdiction over clergy. Read a contemporary account of the murder of Thomas Becket.

Texas attains US statehood

On December 29, 1845, Texas became the twenty-eighth state to join the United States of America when US President James K. Polk signed the Ordinance of Annexation. Texas had a complicated path to statehood because it had formerly been part of Mexico and then an independent republic. The US Congress passed the Annexation of the Republic of Texas Joint Resolution on March 1, 1845. Voters in Texas then approved the Ordinance of Annexation in October, before it was approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Polk on this day in 1845. The US Supreme Court later ruled in Texas v. White that, despite its unique path to statehood, Texas did not have the right to secede from the union.