Former Transport Minister Mac Maharaj and his wife received payments and gifts worth more than R500 000 from Durban-based businessman Schabir Shaik, who is under investigation by the Scorpions for his role in the arms deal.

Most of the payments and gifts were given before Maharaj (left) left the Cabinet in 1999.

Under the parliamentary code of conduct, gifts and benefits worth more than R350 received by members, their spouses, companions or dependent children must be declared.

But not one of the gifts or payments is logged in Maharaj's parliamentary register of members' interests.

Shaik (right), who is the personal financial adviser of Deputy President Jacob Zuma, is the chief executive of Nkobi Holdings and a director of Nkobi Investments.

Nkobi Investments is part of the N3 Toll Road Consortium, which was awarded a R2.5-billion tender to upgrade the road from Johannesburg to Durban by the Department of Transport while Maharaj was the minister.

An Nkobi Holdings subsidiary, Kobitech, is part of the consortium Prodiba, which won a R265-million contract to produce new credit-card driver's licences.

Maharaj yesterday declined to comment on the payments or on his relationship with Shaik.

He said: "All contracts awarded by the Department of Transport during my term of office are a matter of public record."

Documents scrutinised by the Sunday Times suggest that six payments totalling R260 000 were made to Maharaj and his wife in the four months after he announced N3 Toll Road Consortium as the preferred bidder.

It is believed that the Scorpions' investigation of Shaik has been extended to include Maharaj and a number of other government officials.

Maharaj said he was unaware of a government investigation but would co-operate if asked to do so.

Sipho Ngwema, spokesman for the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, said: "Our policy is not to comment on an ongoing investigation. There is an ongoing probe against Schabir Shaik and we cannot comment on the status of the probe or any of those involved."

Documents, including bank statements, invoices, financial records and faxes show that Shaik or his companies paid a total of R525 352 to Maharaj, his wife, Zarina, or her company, Flisan Investments.

The Sunday Times has established that:

R50 000 was deposited into Maharaj's Absa cheque account on December 15 1997 by Kobifin, the finance division of Nkobi Holdings; and

R25 000 was deposited into Maharaj's Absa cheque account by S Shaik on May 25 1998.

Notes on Shaik's financial records refer to payments made to Maharaj, his wife and her company. Maharaj declined to say if he received the money from Shaik or his companies.

Among the payments recorded in the notes were:

R25 000 on May 10 1998;

R25 000 on May 30 1998;

R50 000 on August 17 1998;

R55 000 on August 19 1998;

R75 000 on September 4 1998;

R10 000 on October 9 1998;

R25 000 on November 20 1998 as a "social facilitation cost";

R20 000 on November 24 1998;

R25 000 on December 18 1998; and

R13 157 on February 28 1999.

The notes also detail payments of R60 000 to Maharaj or his wife after he stepped down from the Cabinet in June 1999. They were made between October 15 1999 and March 1 2000.

Two payments, of R50 000 and R55 000, were made within a week of the N3 announcement.

In addition to the payments, an invoice shows that Shaik, through Nkobi Holdings, paid R49 857 for computers installed at Maharaj's home in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, in 1997.

An Nkobi Holdings official facilitated payment of import duties totalling R18 338 for a marble-top table imported from India by Maharaj's wife.

Shaik also arranged a trip to Disneyland for Maharaj and his family in July 1996.

Asked to comment, Shaik said: "I don't want to answer any of your questions. Tell the Scorpions to ask me those questions in court or ask Mac Maharaj to answer for himself."

With acknowledgements to Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, Jessica Bezuidenhout and the Sunday Times.