It can be tough being an intelligence operative, there is no doubt about that.

Talking to the Daily News during a break at the Hefer Commission on Wednesday, Mo Shaik said: "The battle for democracy is not fought in court rooms. Sometimes, for example, you have to sleep with the devil to get things done."

Sometimes, it also seems, you have to experience tough nights. It was because Shaik had had a "difficult night" that his counsel Steven Joseph requested of Judge Joos Hefer that Shaik only give evidence on Thursday.

In fairness to Shaik, his nocturnal difficulty is apparently related to a medical problem.

But having tough nights is not restricted to intelligence operatives.

In response to Joseph's request, Hefer grunted: "I have many difficult nights."

Perhaps he had a difficult night on Tuesday because when commission's evidence leader Kessie Naidu SC asked whether something could not be done about the circuitous route that former transport minister Mac Maharaj was following in answering questions, Hefer said, almost despairingly: "Well, you try to stop him."

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and the Daily News.