The judge in Schabir Shaik's fraud and corruption trial on Wednesday called for transcripts of interviews given to the media by Shaik's brother Mo.

At the start of the lunch break Mo Shaik, standing on the steps of the Durban High Court, told reporters he did not understand why the name of former president Nelson Mandela had to be dragged into the case.

In the morning session forensic auditor Johan van der Walt had told the court how R2 million rand transferred from Mandela's bank account to Deputy President Jacob Zuma for an RDP project was eventually used to sort out the overdrafts of Zuma and Schabir Shaik's Nkobi Holdings.

Mo Shaik told journalists that it was unnecessary to drag Mandela's name through the mud and that it was "part of the particular venomous nature of this case".

The objection to his comments was raised by prosecutor Billy Downer, which led judge Hillary Squires to request transcripts of all interviews by Mo Shaik.

Defence advocate Francois van Zyl, SC, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Sipho Ngwema had also given interviews since the beginning of the trial.

Judge Squires said it was a practice that "should be discontinued".

With acknowledgement to Sapa.