Latest news with #Thales'
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
French firm Thales opens in-flight entertainment lab in Bengaluru
Thales, a French aerospace and defence firm, has opened an in-flight entertainment and services lab in Bengaluru. Opening the lab marked a significant step towards enhancing both the passenger experience and operational efficiency of carriers globally, said Olivier Flous, senior vice-president, Engineering & Digital Transformation, Thales, here on Wednesday. The new lab, opened at its existing Engineering Competence Centre in the city, will be dedicated to the development of in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions and advanced tools for support and services to airlines, reinforcing India's strategic position as an innovation hub for Thales. 'Our engineers at Thales in India will design, develop, and test innovative solutions to support the needs of Indian airlines and global customers,' officials at Thales said. According to the company, aligned with the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', this lab will serve as a hub for the design, development, and testing of next-generation IFE systems. The lab would be equipped with advanced tools to support and serve airlines in India and around the world. Mr. Flous said this new facility underscored Thales' commitment towards developing future-ready aviation technologies in India, for India, and for the world. 'We look forward to continuing to leverage our global technological expertise and India's vast talent pool to foster a robust local civil aviation ecosystem.' Speaking on the occasion, Marc Lamy, Consul General of France in Bengaluru, said, the inauguration of this inflight entertainment and services lab was a moment of immense pride, reflecting the vibrant spirit of innovation and partnership that defines both nations, France and India. 'This perfectly embodies the spirit of the upcoming year 2026 designated by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'Indo-French Year of Innovation',' he added. State's Industries Minister M.B. Patil said, Thales has been contributing significantly towards the growth of aerospace, defence, and cybersecurity and digital identity in Bengaluru and in India for years. 'Their Engineering Competence Centre has become an integral part of the local industry. Many congratulations to the Thales team for this significant milestone that will strengthen the aviation sector not just within Karnataka, but across the nation,' said Mr. Patil.
Daily Maverick
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Justice prevails: high court dismisses Zuma and Thales' application, arms deal case to proceed
In dismissing Jacob Zuma and Thales' bid to have the arms deal charges dropped, the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg stressed that fair trial rights must balance the interests of the accused with those of society. As a result, the corruption case is set to go ahead. The KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court in Pietermaritzburg has dismissed former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales' bid to have criminal charges against them dropped. The longstanding case related to the controversial arms deal will now proceed despite the deaths of key witnesses Pierre Moynot and Alain Thétard, both former employees of Thales. Both the company's and Zuma's legal team, led by advocate Dali Mpofu, had used the duo's death as a basis for their application for acquittal. On Tuesday, 3 May 2025, while giving a verdict on the matter, Judge Nkosinathi Chili however said he found sufficient reason to believe that Zuma would receive a fair trial and dismissed the application. 'I am not persuaded either that Mr Zuma's right to a fair trial will be prejudiced by the non-availability of Mr Thétard and Mr Moynot. There is no justification for the granting of the order sought by Mr Zuma in the alternative in accordance with section 172 1 (b) of the Constitution. I therefore make the following order: the application by both Mr Zuma and Thales is dismissed.' Zuma's legal team argued that it stood to reason that Thales' acquittal would lead to Zuma's acquittal. Mpofu had initially argued that without those witnesses, their team could not challenge the evidence, essentially rendering the trial unfair. Zuma and Thales stand accused of corruption, racketeering, money laundering and fraud related to the 1999 arms deal. Zuma is accused of receiving payments totalling R4.1-million between 1995 and 2004 from his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik and Shaik's companies to further Thales' interests. Making reference to several parts of the Constitution, Judge Chili said: 'I am therefore satisfied that it will be incompetent of this court to grant the relief sought in prayer one of the main application. The relief sought in prayer two is conditional upon the grant of the relief sought in prayer one. Put conversely, the court can only acquit an accused person who has pleaded to a charge, if the State, in the exercise of its discretion, has stopped the prosecution.' For years, Zuma has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the arms deal case and maintained that the charges against him are politically motivated. He has also slammed the delays in the matter. Zuma has repeatedly challenged elements of the case, particularly the involvement of prosecutor Billy Downer, which has led to significant delays. Judge Chili, however, did not apportion blame: 'It is common cause that there has been a considerable delay in the prosecution of both Mr Zuma and Thales. However, in light of the view I take of this meeting, I do not consider it appropriate to engage in the exercise of attributing blame to any party for the delay.' The judge further cited an observation made by the Constitutional Court, emphasising that fair trial rights must consider not only the interests of the accused persons, but also the broader interests of society. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga told Daily Maverick: 'The NPA welcomes the judgment by Judge Chili in respect of the Thales application. We feel vindicated in view of our long-held belief that this was a rehearsed application, which had been pronounced upon by the courts in 2018. We hope that there will be no more interlocutory application that will have an undesirable impact or effect of delaying the trial. We hope that it resumes without any further delays,' he said. The case is due to return to court on 4 December 2025, with the State likely to argue that it should proceed regardless of whether Zuma challenges Tuesday's decision or not. Zuma was due, on Tuesday afternoon, to brief journalists on various political developments, including this matter. DM
eNCA
03-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Zuma, Thales' stay of prosecution bid dismissed
PIETERMARITZBURG - Former President Jacob Zuma has been dealt another legal blow. The Pietermaritzburg High Court has dismissed his application for a permanent stay of prosecution. Zuma had joined French arms company Thales' bid to have all charges dropped. It claimed that since two witnesses have died, they can't be cross-examined, and the trial would be unfair. But Judge Nkosinathi Chili found the court does not have the authority to withdraw the charges. He also dismissed Zuma's argument that the absence of these witnesses would violate his right to a fair trial. "The court seized with the matter has a duty to consider all the evidence before it, including the non-availability of all defence witnesses, before returning a verdict." 'There is no justification for the grant of the order sought by Mr Zuma. I therefore make the following order: The applications by both Zuma and Thales are dismissed, " the judge said. Thales and Zuma face charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering related to the 1999 multi-billion rand arms deal.
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Zuma and Thales back in court for judgement on corruption charges
Legal teams for both Thales and Zuma are expected to debate the future progress of the trial in the Pietermaritzburg High Court . Former President Jacob Zuma in the in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Picture: X/@MkhontoweSizwex French arms company Thales will find out whether charges against the company will be dropped following chronic delays by former President Jacob Zuma's failed challenges to his prosecution. Legal teams for both Thales and Zuma are expected to debate the future progress of the trial in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Tuesday. Judge Nkosinathi Chili reserved his ruling in April after hearing detailed arguments from Zuma and Thales, both of whom are seeking a permanent stay of prosecution. Zuma and Thales applied to be summarily acquitted of the arms deal corruption and racketeering charges on the basis that unreasonable delays had resulted in the deaths of crucial witnesses, Thales representative Alain Thétard and Pierre Moynot. Trial delays In court papers, Thales' attorney Cameron Dunstan-Smith said the company pleaded not guilty to all the charges against it in May 2021 and that the case was postponed 16 times due to 'no fault of its own'. During Thales' arguments, advocate Barry Roux, representing the French arms company, stated that no witnesses could give evidence in Thales' defence because the officials who could have testified 'are now dead.' ALSO READ: Zuma's lawyers argue for acquittal due to lengthy delays in the arms deal case [VIDEO] Zuma acquittal Zuma also wants his case against him summarily acquitted if Thales is successful in its application for an acquittal. The former president's lawyer, Advocate Naba Buthelezi, argued that the state 'no longer had a winnable case' against Zuma because so many allegedly crucial witnesses have died. However, the State argued that Zuma's attempt to rely on the deaths of Moynot and Thétard to seek an order quashing his prosecution on the basis that he can no longer adduce or challenge their evidence is 'fatally undermined' by a pivotal point he was allegedly personally involved in the corruption he stands accused of. Unhappiness In his latest appeal, Zuma expressed unhappiness that Chili took nine months and three months, respectively, to deliver rulings dismissing the former president's second attempt to force Downer's removal and his efforts to appeal that ruling. *On reading of the judgment (11 paragraphs more than six pages) dismissing the application as well as the judgement (15 paragraphs over six pages) refusing leave to appeal, the court a quo's level of proportional, or reciprocal engagement with the legal issues that were placed before it for adjudication are wholly inadequate,' Zuma said. 'This does not align with the nature, history, importance and complexity of this matter,' he added. ALSO READ: Zuma advocate argues NPA 'no longer has winnable case' Another loss In April, Chilli dismissed an application by Zuma to have his arms deal prosecutor removed, saying he does not believe he former president's right to a fair trial would be compromised if Downer remained as prosecutor. Zuma instructed his lawyer, Advocate Dali Mpofu, to petition the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to appeal Chili's ruling. Latest appeal In his latest appeal, Zuma has relied on a SCA ruling that admonished then-judge president John Hlophe's failure to timeously deliver a ruling on an appeal application in the 2004 New Clicks case to criticise Chil's court for being 'dilatory in how it has handled this application overall', according to News24. Zuma said the SCA had criticised this conduct as 'deliberate obstructionism on the part of a Court of first instance or sheer laxity or unjustifiable or inexplicable inaction' in the New Clicks case. Hlophe's conduct in the case was blamed on deliberate obstructionism on the part of a court of first instance, sheer laxity, or unjustifiable or inexplicable inaction. At the time, Hlophe (now National Assembly leader of Zuma's MK Party) reportedly said he 'couldn't care less' about the New Clicks ruling. ALSO READ: Zuma's bid to force Downer's removal from arms deal case dismissed Removal of Downer Zuma's insistence that he was owed a long and complex ruling on his latest attempts to remove Downer – despite the fact that multiple courts had conclusively rejected his various complaints – was just one of many arguments he made to the SCA as part of his efforts to revive an appeal that Chili found to have no reasonable prospects of success. Zuma's second failed attempt to force Downer's removal followed his unsuccessful efforts to privately prosecute the career state advocate and journalist Karn Maughan for the alleged violation of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act, through the sharing of publicly available court papers, which contained a sick note from one of the former president's doctors. ALSO READ: ConCourt dismisses Zuma's private prosecution appeal against Ramaphosa Abuse of court That case was condemned as an 'abuse' by multiple courts and invalidated. The SCA found that the facts demonstrated 'that the private prosecution of Mr Downer is an abuse of the process of the court' because it was 'instituted as a further step in a sustained attempt by Mr Zuma to obstruct, delay and prevent his criminal trial' and 'to have Mr Downer removed as the prosecutor in Mr Zuma's trial'. This 'ulterior purpose' rendered the private prosecution unlawful, SCA Judge Nathan Ponnan said – before adding that the charges that Zuma had sought to pursue against Downer and this writer were 'patently a hopeless case' and 'obviously unsustainable'. In Zuma's SCA application to appeal the dismissal of his latest Downer removal bid, the former president maintains that the fact that his private prosecution of Downer was invalidated as an abuse 'was irrelevant in relation to the reasonableness or otherwise of [my] perception of bias on the part of Mr Downer'. 'Whether the private prosecution was successful or not is immaterial to the reasonableness of the perception of [Zuma]. It was the fact of the private prosecution, which is material, not its outcome. It will never change that I privately prosecuted Downer, albeit unsuccessfully,' Zuma said. Stalingrad In February 2025, Zuma's counsel argued against multiple court findings that the former president had engaged in Stalingrad legal tactics, and had pursued futile cases and appeals with the sole aim of delaying his arms trial and avoiding his day in court. Zuma is accused of 18 charges of corruption, racketeering, fraud and tax evasion. The arms deal case was declared trial-ready three years ago but has been delayed by his repeated failed efforts to force the removal of Downer. ALSO READ: Downer dismisses Zuma's allegations of 'racist undertones' in legal strategy
eNCA
03-06-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Zuma, Thales corruption case back in court
PIETERMARITZBURG - Former President Jacob Zuma's arms deal corruption case is back at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The court is expected to rule whether charges against French arms Company Thales will be dropped. In April, it filed an application, arguing the case can't continue after the deaths of two key witnesses. The company is accused of paying Zuma for political protection. If Thales' bid is successful, Zuma wants his charges scrapped too. Both Zuma and Thales face charges of corruption, racketeering, money laundering, and fraud. It's all linked to the multi-billion rand 1999 arms deal.
