South Africa’s scandal-plagued former president Jacob Zuma will face a corruption trial, a court ruled on Friday, dismissing his application for a permanent stay of prosecution.

Zuma, who is accused of taking bribes from French defence company Thales in the 1990s, sought to have the case permanently dropped in March this year on the grounds that it was politically motivated.

But the trial is expected to begin on Tuesday after High Court judge Willie Seriti ruled that Zuma’s “application for the permanent stay is dismissed with costs”.