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| - A South African panel hearing testimonies about rampant state corruption during Jacob Zuma's reign, on Monday said it would ask police to investigate the former president after his walkout last week. "I have decided to request the secretary of the commission to lay a criminal complaint with the South African police against Mr Zuma so that the police can investigate his conduct," the commission's chair and deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo said in a statement. After months of playing cat-and-mouse Zuma appeared before the commission last week seeking what he called an "impartial" judge, after accusing Zondo of bias and demanding he recuses himself. But Zondo tossed out the application on Thursday, saying it "failed to meet the test for a reasonable apprehension of bias." Shortly after the ruling, the commission took a few minutes recess, but Zuma and his lawyer Muzi Sikhakhane, did not return. Zuma had been expected to face a request to take to the witness stand The commission will now issue fresh summons to force Zuma to return to testify. The commission, which has been hearing testimonies since 2018, said it will also urgently approach the country's top tribunal, the Constitutional Court, seeking an order that will compel Zuma "to comply with the summons". Zuma has only testified once, in July 2019, but pulled out after a few days, saying he was being treated as an "accused" rather than as a witness. At least 34 witnesses have directly or indirectly implicated Zuma, who has denied any wrongdoing. sn/pma
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