A former South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday defied summons to appear before a commission investigating corruption during his presidency.
Mr Zuma was scheduled to appear before the commission from 15 to 19 February.
In a statement, his lawyers said the summons were irregular and that Mr Zuma’s application for the head of the commission, Justice Raymond Zondo, to recuse himself was yet to be determined.
A constitutional court last month issued an order compelling Mr Zuma to appear before the commission.
The commission, known as the Zondo commission, was established in 2018 to investigate the “state capture” scandal during Mr Zuma’s tenure as president.
The scandal revolves around allegations that the wealthy Gupta family, who are close friends of the former president, used their relationship to unfairly secure millions of dollars’ worth of government contracts.
It is also alleged that they were able to influence political decisions, including the naming of ministers.
The former president and the Gupta family deny any wrongdoing.
Mr Zuma has previously said that the commission was biased against him.
Justice Zondo will need to decide what legal options to follow. The commission has the power to issue a fine or even sentence someone to six months imprisonment for defying summons.
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