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to evade his day in court. Zuma objected to Downer’s involvement in his case and claimed that the retired prosecutor acted unlawfully by leaking information to the media. Downer has previously been accused of leaking information to journalists to benefit his public image and his cases. Zuma
232:
Under the mentorship of
Rossouw's successor, Frank Kahn, Downer developed a specialism in commercial prosecutions. He continued to work as a state advocate in a similar capacity after the attorney-general's office was merged into the post-apartheid
303:, but in April 2024 this prosecution was struck off the roll of the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, although it might be reinstated if an appeal by Zuma to the Constitutional Court succeeds.
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271:. Downer was appointed to the Arms Deal investigation in 2000, while Zuma was the Deputy President, and he initially focused on the leg of the investigation that targeted
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Zuma. Meanwhile, when related charges were brought against Zuma, he was also made the leading prosecutor on the Zuma case. Journalist
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instituted a private prosecution in the high court against Downer on 5 September 2022, as well as against journalist
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Magistrate's Court, and in 1986 he was recruited into the office of Neil
Rossouw, the Attorney-General for the
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in 1980, with a family friend, Frank Kirk-Cohen, appearing for him. Upon his return from Oxford, he joined the
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644:"Zuma's private prosecution of Downer, Maughan struck off the roll – but lawyers, supporters cry victory"
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claimed that state agents surveilled his private telephone conversations with Downer about the case.
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Downer considered pursuing a career in theatre. However, after matriculating, he attended
350:"Game on: Billy Downer's been on Jacob Zuma's trail for 20 years... now the wait is over"
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supporters; his mother was a physiotherapist and his father, formerly a colonel in the
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The prosecution of Zuma has taken many years with Zuma having been accused of using
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Downer is best known to the public for his role in prosecuting former
President
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593:"Zuma's Stalingrad tactic has backfired, and it'll cost him more than money"
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114:(born 1956) is a retired South African prosecutor. A specialist in
619:"Zuma employing 'Stalingrad defence' as legal stalling strategy"
279:. In 2004 and 2005 he led the prosecution of Schabir Shaik in
464:"Where is the next generation of Billy Downers in the NPA?"
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in
October 1982; his first job was as a prosecutor in the
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and completed a law degree in 1979. Thereafter he went to
411:"7 Things You Need To Know About Advocate Billy Downer"
118:, he is best known for his prosecution of high-profile
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that culminated with Shaik's conviction on charges of
158:, was a manager at the law firm Adams & Adams.
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437:"Disbanding Scorpions 'will protect politicians'"
213:. Shortly thereafter he was conscripted into the
567:"Spy tapes: McCarthy, 'Billy the Kid' and me"
237:(NPA). In 2008 he publicly opposed President
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515:"Shaik trial: Judge mulls live broadcasts"
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681:Lessons from the fight against corruption
671:Zuma: after 13 years Downer is vindicated
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315:, in Cape Town. They married in 2009.
311:Downer lives with his partner, lawyer
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142:Downer was born in 1956 in suburban
746:Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
741:20th-century South African lawyers
731:21st-century South African lawyers
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126:prosecutions of former President
489:"Shaik trial: 'Zuma was bribed'"
150:. His parents were middle-class
462:Basson, Adriaan (24 May 2021).
94:
721:Stellenbosch University alumni
235:National Prosecuting Authority
1:
716:South African Rhodes Scholars
617:Town, Bill Corcoran in Cape.
541:"Has Zuma something to hide?"
348:Wiener, Mandy (26 May 2019).
255:Jacob Zuma corruption charges
265:fraud and corruption charges
382:"The man who won't go down"
241:'s decision to disband the
219:South African Defence Force
107:William John "Billy" Downer
43:1956 (age 67–68)
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189:Downer was admitted as an
130:and his financial adviser
736:South African prosecutors
171:Brasenose College, Oxford
148:Pretoria Boys High School
66:Brasenose College, Oxford
52:Pretoria Boys High School
138:Early life and education
16:South African prosecutor
571:The Mail & Guardian
545:The Mail & Guardian
519:The Mail & Guardian
493:The Mail & Guardian
441:The Mail & Guardian
386:The Mail & Guardian
163:Stellenbosch University
156:South African Air Force
62:Stellenbosch University
249:Jacob Zuma prosecution
245:. He retired in 2021.
185:Career as a prosecutor
177:; he graduated with a
122:cases, especially the
199:Department of Justice
179:Bachelor of Civil Law
165:, where he lived at
146:, where he attended
691:How we nailed Shaik
495:. 30 September 2004
313:William de Villiers
195:Pretoria High Court
86:William de Villiers
40:William John Downer
547:. 6 September 2006
296:Stalingrad tactics
203:Magistrate's Court
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521:. 11 October 2004
120:public corruption
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72:Years active
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417:. 6 April 2018
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269:1999 Arms Deal
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273:Chippy Shaik
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152:United Party
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75:1982–present
25:Billy Downer
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726:1956 births
415:HuffPost UK
239:Thabo Mbeki
207:Kuils River
705:Categories
628:25 October
602:25 October
319:References
261:Jacob Zuma
128:Jacob Zuma
597:TimesLIVE
243:Scorpions
215:apartheid
211:Cape Town
124:Arms Deal
48:Education
695:The Star
653:8 August
289:Sam Sole
209:outside
191:advocate
167:Dagbreek
144:Pretoria
285:bribing
281:a trial
223:Wynberg
193:in the
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675:News24
468:News24
354:News24
80:Spouse
217:-era
173:as a
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655:2024
630:2019
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