When forensic auditor Johan van der Walt stood down from the witness box in Schabir Shaik’s fraud and corruption trial in November, most people present in the Durban High Court were relieved.

After all, the “Bloodhound”, as he described himself, had just spent 16 days presenting a 256-page forensic report on the money trail between Shaik and Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

Come tomorrow, Van der Walt will be back in the box to address a few outstanding issues relating to the second most powerful man in South Africa and the businessman the state says bought him.

Once Van der Walt concludes his evidence, Scorpions investigators Izak du Plooy and Johan du Plooy will take the stand, presenting evidence about the investigation into Shaik and attempts to get sight of a R1.2-million loan agreement Shaik allegedly signed with Zuma.

Shaik is charged with corruption regarding a “generally corrupt relationship” with Zuma in which he allegedly paid the deputy president R1.2-million over six years in return for his protection and favours. He is also charged with fraud and is accused of writing off payments on Zuma’s behalf of more than R1-million against his company Nkobi’s books.

Shaik faces a third charge, that of corruption for allegedly trying to solicit a R500 000-a-year bribe from Thetard on Zuma’s behalf.

Next up is Gerda Ferreira, a former Scorpions investigator involved in the raids in which many of the documents on which the state bases its case were seized.

Lead prosecutor Billy Dower said this week that the state still had to decide whether or not to call another three witnesses.

Argument on the admissibility of documentation will then begin. It is expected to last several days.

The defence will contest the validity of a number of the documents, among them an encrypted fax allegedly sent by Alain Thetard, an executive of arms dealer Thomsons (now Thint) to secure the R500 000-a-year bribe for Zuma.

Judge Hillary Squires is likely to call a short adjournment while he deliberates the two legal teams’ arguments, after which the defence will call its witnesses.

With acknowledgements to Paddy Harper and the Sunday Times.