Former Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s lawyer has launched a court challenge against the Scorpions, contesting the legality of last week’s raids on her home and offices.

Julekha Mahomed filed an urgent application in the Johannesburg High Court last Thursday, the same day the Scorpions conducted a massive, nationwide raid on people and premises linked to Zuma.

Mahomed wants the court to set aside the search and seizure warrants granted by the Pretoria High Court two weeks ago.

Others raided, including businessman Jurgen Kögl and Zuma’s other lawyer, Michael Hulley, this week also indicated they were considering taking the matter to court. It is not clear on what grounds their applications would be made.

The raids on properties of Mahomed and Hulley were widely criticised by the legal fraternity as having serious implications for lawyer- client confidentiality.

The Sunday Times has established that Mahomed wants the Scorpions to return some of the documents they seized from her premises.

Her application will be heard on Tuesday.

Mahomed and her lawyers refused to comment on the case, saying the matter was sub judice.

When Scorpions raided Mahomed’s premises, they were looking for “copies or notes” pertaining to the “loan agreement” between Zuma and Durban businessman Schabir Shaik.

Mahomed testified during Shaik’s trial that she had drafted the “loan agreement”.

Scorpions investigators want information that would contradict Zuma’s version that the monies he received from Shaik were loans.

Zuma is facing two counts of corruption relating to his relationship with Shaik, and to an alleged bribe Shaik organised for him from Thales, formerly Thomson CSF.

Shaik has already been convicted and faces 15 years in jail, pending appeal.

Meanwhile, new documents show that ex-Namibian businessman Kögl has told the Scorpions that a series of payments he made on behalf of Zuma were not related to the arms deal.

The Scorpions probe of Zuma has revealed that up to 2001, Kögl’s company, Cay Nominees, paid R656000 towards the bond on Zuma’s flat in Killarney, Johannesburg.

Cay Nominees also paid R183000 on August 14 2001 to settle Zuma’s outstanding debt on a Mercedes- Benz 230E.

The Scorpions investigation has found that R1.1-million was deposited into a Cay Nominees account on August 14 2001 — the same day Kögl paid for Zuma’s car and 10 days before he paid the bond money.

Investigators want to know where Kögl got the R1.1-million and whether Cay Nominees could afford to make such payments.

Kögl said the money “related exclusively to a transaction concerning telecommunications and had no connection with any arms-procurement transactions”.

Scorpions investigators believe that the R.1.1-million may have flowed from Thales.

Kögl’s lawyers said their client “denies any wrongdoing whatsoever”.

With acknowledgements to Wisani wa ka Ngobeni, Dominic Mahlangu, Dumisane Lubisi and the Sunday Times.