Malaysian company Renong had prevented a witness from testifying in the Shabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial, the Durban High Court heard on Tuesday.

Special scorpions investigator Isak du Plooy told the court how investigators battled to get David Wilson, who lives in Malaysia, to give testimony in the trial.

Wilson, was a director at Renong, a company which was initially involved in the Point Waterfront Development Project in Durban.

Du Plooy said in October 2003 he was told to arrange a meeting with Wilson whose name was seen on documents confiscated during a raid on Shaik's offices.

Du Plooy and advocate Anton Steynberg flew to Kuala Lumpur to meet Wilson at the SA High Commission, where they obtained an affidavit from him.

They returned to South Africa and in subsequent correspondence Wilson said he had located documents at Renong that were relevant to the case and that he would organise his own travel and accommodation when he came to give testimony in South Africa.

Du Plooy said Wilson told investigators he would testify on November 2, 2004 but later said he was not available as a witness.

In a letter to the investigators he said he had lived in Malaysia for 20 years and did not wish to cause any embarrassment to the government of that country.

He said it was "not appropriate for me to give evidence under such circumstances."

Senior special investigator Johan Du Plooy then tried to convince him to come to South Africa and Wilson said he would refer the matter to the chief executive and board of Renong.

They advised him against testifying in the trial and, despite repeated attempts from the scorpions to get him here, he has refused to come to South Africa.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.