Jacob Zuma trial: South Africa’s ex-president denies corruption charges

Zuma accuses lawyers of working to bolster a narrative' as trial begins over $2.5bn arms deal

Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, accused prosecutors of seeking to malign a political leader rather than find the truth as he denied charges of corruption at the first major hearing of his trial on Wednesday.

Zuma, 79, faces charges of bribery, fraud, racketeering and money laundering relate to a $2.5bn (1.98bn) deal to buy European military hardware to upgrade South Africa's armed forces in 1999 when he was deputy president.