It is not clear this morning whether the fraud and corruption trial of former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni and businessman Michael Woerfel will finally get underway.

A possible settlement between Yengeni and the state was still under discussion by 10am.

Documents outlining the agreement were supposed to have been submitted to the state by 4pm yesterday but are believed to have been delivered only after 9am today.

Magistrate Bill Moyses ruled on Tuesday that the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court trial had to get underway today if no deal was clinched.

He granted Yengeni's defence team a postponement until Wednesday for further negotiations.

Prosecutor Jan Henning told the court that the state had received offers for a settlement which had not yet met its requirements.

ANC Women's League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela arrived at the court shortly before 10am. Yengeni's wife Lumka was also there.

Yengeni faces a charge of corruption for allegedly buying a luxury 4X4 Mercedes at a 47% discount in return for using his influence to "market" the products of Daimler-Benz Aerospace or Daimler-Benz Aerospace.

He faces an alternative count of fraud for failing to disclose the benefit to Parliament.

Woerfel, then head of Daimler-Benz's Pretoria representative office, is charged with corruption for allegedly arranging the car deal.

Daimler-Benz was the manufacturer of the AT2000 - which was at the time being considered with two other aircraft in South Africa's search for an advanced light fighter aircraft in terms of the arms acquisition process.

Both men face a charge of fraud for alleged false representations made in the agreement of sale drawn up for the car deal.

They have pleaded not guilty.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and the Business Day.