Forensic auditor Johan van der Walt was expected to be the first witness in the trial of Durban businessman Schabir Shaik when it resumes.

Shaik’s corruption and fraud trial was expected to restart today after a six-week break.

Van der Walt was expected to be recalled by the state. Earlier in the trial, he gave evidence for a marathon 16 days.

In October Shaik, who is Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s financial adviser, pleaded not guilty to two charges of corruption and one of fraud.

The first charge of corruption relates to what the state has called “a general corrupt relationship” that had existed between Shaik and Zuma. It is alleged that about R1,2-million was paid to Zuma in furtherance of his relationship.

Shaik has admitted to helping Zuma but said it was done in friendship. He also produced a revolving credit agreement saying the deal between him and Zuma had been formalised because the deputy president insisted.

The second charge is one of fraud.

The state says Shaik had more than R1-million written off in the books of his company, Nkobi Holdings. This money was owed to companies in the Nkobi group by him and the vehicles he used to make payments to Zuma. The write-off meant it disappeared from Nkobi’s books.

Shaik said this was a mistake and that he later asked his auditors to fix it.

The third charge against Shaik is another one of corruption. The state says Shaik solicited a bribe from French arms company Thomson for Zuma. They have a fax that was handed to them by Thomson director Alain Thetard’s former secretary, Sue Delique.

The fax stated that Zuma agreed to protect Thomson in return for the payment of R1-million. Shaik says he knows nothing of the fax. His counsel, Francois Van Zyl SC, is expected to argue that it is not admissible as an exhibit against his client.

Van der Walt’s evidence is expected to be followed by that of former Scorpions advocate and one of the leading figures in the arms deal investigation, Gerda Ferreira.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and The Star.