Mo Shaik has his own intelligence database. He also has his own intelligence sources. He also still has top-secret security clearance.

And using his 13 years of intelligence knowledge, he was the person who resurrected a report claiming that National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was "most probably" an apartheid-era spy, the Hefer Commission heard in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Earlier, the commission heard that in 2001, while Shaik was at a reception for the visiting Algerian president, Justice Minister Penuell Maduna had asked him if it was correct that his unit had investigated Ngcuka for being a spy.

Shaik then told Deputy President Jacob Zuma about the incident. Zuma told him not to confirm the investigation and not to hand over any documents.

A year later, Shaik read in newspaper reports that his erstwhile MK commander, Zuma, was under investigation for corruption relating to the arms deal.

"I knew that Zuma was not involved," he stated in papers before the commission.

He denied that he was giving this evidence to help his brother, Schabir Shaik, Zuma's financial adviser, who was also snagged by the arms deal investigation. "I am carrying someone else's flag," said Shaik, who did not identify that person.

Shaik admitted to giving some of his spy reports to former Sunday Times journalist Ranjeni Munusamy.

"I told her the spy investigation had an impact on the hostility between Zuma and Ngcuka," he said.

Shaik was informed by the chairperson of the commission, retired judge Joos Hefer, that there was a law against his keeping a private intelligence database.

He admitted to keeping his database in a secret location and said it contained information on 888 agents. Shaik said he managed the database through a coded system, which he explained in great detail to the commission.

Evidence leader Kessie Naidu SC then asked him: "Do the intelligence agencies know about this?"

Shaik: "I have informed them."

Naidu: "Shouldn't a database like that be kept in safe custody?"

Shaik: "I received no instruction to hand over my documentation."

Naidu: "Does the president know?"

Shaik: "Comrade deputy president (Zuma) was my commander. He knows. I don't know if the president knows."

Shaik also has some highly placed sources who are or were previously part of intelligence agencies.

Naidu: "Under which rock did you find Gideon Nieuwoudt? I say this because this is a man who has admitted to being involved in a series of crimes."

Shaik refused to identify one of his sources, who was also present when he and Nieuwoudt were interviewed by e.tv on the spy issue. He said the man would be killed within 24 hours if he revealed his name.

He admitted to having shared some of the documents in the database, supposedly related to Ngcuka, with Munusamy.

"But she did not see my microfilm. Nobody sees my microfilm," he said sternly.

Shaik also denied threatening Munusamy if she divulged that he was her source.

Munusamy, who was subpoenaed to give evidence before the commission, said in an affidavit - when she asked to be excused from testifying - that she feared for her life.

Naidu seemed unconvinced. Shaik said it was not he who had threatened her.

Naidu: "Do you think she made this up?"

Shaik: "I have no idea."

Naidu: "Is it possible that she was lying?"

Shaik: "Ask her."

Naidu: "We want to, Mr Shaik, but she refused to come near us."

Shaik said he had contact with former National Intelligence agent Mike Kuhn to double-check the spy allegations.

"It was deeply worrying for me to place a name to these reports. It is not something we do lightly."

He said Kuhn told him that "the general buzz" was that Ngcuka worked for them, but it was difficult to prove.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis, Jeremy Gordin and The Star.