Admitting two affidavits by a Malaysian based businessman would not be in the interests of justice, the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial was told on Friday.

Part of businessman David Wilson's statement also amounted to "double hearsay", defence advocate Francois Van Zyl told the Durban High Court. A court order prohibits journalists from writing about the contents of Wilson's statement relating to fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik and Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

Wilson was a former director in the Malaysian Renong Group which had an interest in the Point Waterfront Development in Durban. Shaik, who faces two charges of fraud and one of corruption, is accused of a soliciting a R500,000 per annum bribe for Zuma from French arms company Thomson CSF. The State also alleges that they had a "generally corrupt relationship" and that Shaik used his political connection to Zuma for financial gain.

Shaik allegedly tried to become Renong's black empowerment partner by using his connections with Zuma. The principal document in the admissibility argument was a so-called encrypted fax which records a R500,000 per annum bribe for Deputy President Jacob Zuma from Thomson's SA boss Alain Thetard.

The State alleges that Shaik solicited the bribe for Zuma in exchange for protection during investigation into alleged irregularities in South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal. The defence has always maintained that discussions between Zuma, Shaik and Thetard were about donations for Zuma's education trust fund.

Thetard has refused to come to South Africa to testify, even as a State witness.

On Thursday Van Zyl said Thetard was not a honest man, even before the fax. Van Zyl has also accused Thetard of misrepresenting the purpose of the meeting through the fax, and said he could have tried to "run a fast one on the company" to try to get money.

Last weekend Shaik's legal team flew to Paris but would not say who they consulted. "We will go to the ends of the earth to bring the truth before this court," Shaik said in television interview on Thursday. Although he would not confirm the purpose of the trip to Paris he said "we have lined up several surprise witnesses".

The trial continues.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.