The trial of Schabir Shaik, Deputy President Jacob Zuma's financial adviser, might start in early December.

National Director of Public Prosecutions spokesperson Lungisa Dyosi yesterday said the state wanted the matter to be referred to the High Court.

Confirming this, Shaik's attorney, Reeves Parsee, said: "They want it to be in early December."

He believed the indictments were not ready, and had suggested the referral be delayed until they had been finalised.

In the meanwhile, Shaik was to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court again today. He is on bail of R1 000.

According to the provisional charge sheet released at his first appearance in August, he and a number of his companies will face two charges of corruption - one of fraud and one under the Income Tax Act.

In the provisional charge sheet he is cited as the representative of several companies, including the French arms company Thomson CSF, which was involved in the multibillion-rand arms deal.

The provisional charge sheet sparked an outcry because of its various references to Zuma.

These included allegations that he had received more than R1-million from the accused and that there was a "general corrupt relationship" between them.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Star.