The prosecution in the trial of Durban businessman Schabir Shaik has asked the court to allow it to use a document to prove that Shaik is "the author" of a letter he has denied ever seeing.

Shaik's fourth day under cross-examination was interrupted when presiding Judge Hilary Squires said he would take until Friday to make his ruling on the application by lead prosecutor Billy Downer SC.

The application followed a series of questions asked of Shaik by Downer dealing with the Point Development in Durban.

The state is using Shaik's alleged involvement with the Point Development and Zuma's alleged assistance in this regard to try to prove that there was a "general corrupt relationship" between the two. In short, it is alleged that Shaik paid to keep Zuma in politics and in turn Zuma helped Shaik promote his business interests.

Downer is using a series of documents in his cross-examination of Shaik, supplied to the Scorpions by David Wilson, formerly from Renong, and other documentation seized.

Shaik denied that he had ever seen one of the letters.

The specific letter was written on a letterhead of the "Ministry of Economic Affairs and Tourism Province of KwaZulu-Natal".

It is addressed to the chairperson of Renong, Tan Sri Halim Saad, and ostensibly written by Zuma, but not signed. Shaik has earlier admitted that this letter was found at Nkobi. In the letter Zuma asked Saad for a meeting to discuss who the best "local partner" for him would be to work with on the Point Development.

"It is the first time that I have seen this letter," Shaik told the court.

"It came from the Nkobi files," Downer replied.

"I cannot explain that," Shaik said.

Downer, who had provisionally closed the state's case last month, then applied to reopen the case only for purposes of admitting a single document to be used as rebuttal evidence against Shaik.

"It came as a surprise to us when he said he had no knowledge of the letter," Downer said, adding that Shaik had earlier said he was the only person at Nkobi who dealt with the Point Development.

Downer now wants to hand in a document, obtained from a computer seized from Nkobi in 2001 which bears "a remarkable similarity" to the letter.

He has also requested the court for permission to cross-examine Shaik on this draft document. He said it was the state's intention to prove that Shaik did not only know about the letter, but was in fact the author.

Shaik's counsel Francois van Zyl SC has objected to Downer's request, saying that the document should have been admitted into evidence during the state's case.

Judge Squires will rule on the application this morning.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and The Star.

Sorry - not too many highlights - Count 3 is coming.

Baghdad on Tommy Franks's opening night should be a relative oasis?