The State on Thursday concluded its argument in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial saying the controversial encrypted fax was the truth and added weight to the State's case.

Prosecutor Billy Downer said Shaik's excuse that he was attempting to get a donation and not a bribe for Deputy President Jacob Zuma from French company Thomson CSF "smacks of a version dreamt up to meet the State's case and a recent fabrication".

The fax was written by Alain Thetard who was head of Thomson-CSF in South Africa. It reports an alleged bribe of R500 000 per annum for Zuma.

The State said the bribe was solicited by Shaik for Zuma from Thomson-CSF in exchange for protection during investigations into alleged irregularities in South Africa's multi-billion rand arms purchase.

Downer told the court "there was no reason to believe that Thetard would create a false document, far less one that so consistently accords with the surrounding circumstances".

He said the fax was destined for internal use only. It was meant to be a confidential document was therefore encrypted.

Outside the Durban High Court, Shaik said he was relieved that the State's case was over and that he had learned to deal with their criticism of his character and personality.

He said he was happy that judgment would be shown live on television and would have liked the closing arguments of both sides to have been shown.

"It's an important case. It deals with the deputy president and public funds," said Shaik.

The defence is expected to start its closing argument on Friday.

With ackowledgements to Sapa.