The High Court of South Africa dismissed on Tuesday former president Jacob Zuma’s plea to remove the prosecutor from his corruption case.

Zuma has been accused of soliciting bribes from arms dealers in the 1990s, in addition to leaking private medical records being used in his corruption case to the media. The former president has pleaded not guilty on all charges. Zuma argued that the prosecutor had been biased against him, creating an unfair trial due to the failure to stay impartial within his judiciary duties.

The “special plea” is in accordance with Section 106 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1977. However, the High Court found that there was no substantial evidence of facts to suggest that the prosecutor had failed in his duty to be “independent and objective.” Further, the court interpreted the Criminal Procedure Act and found that Zuma’s rights to a fair trial had not been infringed. As a result, his corruption trial will continue.

In June, Zuma was convicted of contempt of court for 15 months for failing to testify before a judiciary panel. However, he was released after 2 months on “medical parole.” The JGZZuma Foundation posted on social media following the high court decision, stating that the decision was a “gross error of law and misdirection,” and that Zuma intends to appeal the decision.

Zuma’s corruption trial is set to begin in April 2022.