Deputy President Jacob Zuma took his personal financial adviser, who is facing criminal charges related to the arms deal, on a second overseas trip on board a government jet.

The Sunday Times can reveal that Schabir Shaik, who is under investigation over an alleged R500 000 bribe, flew with Zuma from an air force base to Malaysia on July 30, eight months after being charged with possession of confidential Cabinet documents.

He returned on the same government jet with Zuma five days later.

Zuma was attending the Langkawi International Smart Partnership Dialogue 2002 in Malaysia. His office released a statement saying that the official delegation included Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

This trip took place four months after Shaik accompanied Zuma to Senegal to attend a New Partnership for Africa's Development conference at the expense of taxpayers.

On Friday, a defiant Shaik said there was nothing sinister about the trips. "Anyone can get a lift on the presidential jet. Even journalists are often taken on board the same flight."

The Scorpions arrested Shaik last November after he was allegedly found in possession of confidential Cabinet minutes that may have given his company an unfair advantage over other bidders in South Africa's multibillion-rand arms deal. He has not pleaded and is out on R1 000 bail.

He said he attended the Nepad conference after being invited by the Senegalese High Commissioner in SA on behalf of Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade. "I paid for my own flight back, as well as the hotel bill," he said.

Shaik said the reason he flew with Zuma's official entourage was that he was invited at short notice, and was unable to get a connecting flight.

The Sunday Times also revealed that Shaik's name appeared on Zuma's protocol list of travel arrangements from the airport to the Le Meridien President Hotel in Dakar. He travelled in the same vehicle as Zuma's physician, in a motorcade behind Zuma and Senegalese Prime Minister Mame Madior Boye.

Shaik said: "I was not part of Zuma's official entourage. Surely I would not have been expected to walk all the way from the airport to the hotel while there were cars going there?"

'What do my wife's panties have to do with a defence contract?

What indeed? Just maybe the Minutes of Cabinet Sub-Committee Meeting of 1999-05-26 at Tambo House attended by brother Chippy Shaik as well as by Jayendra Naidoo. - RMY

With acknowledgements to Mzilikazi wa Afrika and the Sunday Times.