Schabir Shaik told the Durban High Court this morning how he had pursued the runaway Frenchman who had written the fax that landed both himself and Deputy President Jacob Zuma in hot water.

Shaik was responding to the main allegation brought against him by the state: that he solicited a bribe for Zuma from French arms company Thomson. The state alleges that the bribe agreement is set out in an encrypted fax a former director of Thomson's South African operation, Alain Thetard, wrote and gave to his secretary, Sue Delique,to type.

Delique took the fax by accident when she resigned. She later handed it to the Scorpions.

Last week Shaik told the court that both he and Zuma were baffled by the contents of the fax as the meeting it referred to dealt with a donation to the Jacob Zuma Education Trust, and nothing else.

"The first time I became aware of the fax was when it was published in the newspapers ... I was enraged, disappointed and shocked," he said.

He said he had gone to Paris to see Thetard, who met him with his legal advisers and "appeared to be equally confused.

"He said he could not recall writing that fax. He was clearly shocked himself. Despite our questions, he could not give a satisfactory explanation. He even wondered whether the state had such a fax. He was not prepared to discuss the contents of the fax. I left that meeting hardly informed.

"I went to see (Zuma) and informed him of what happened. He was not satisfied by the response we got in the first meeting. He asked me to seek another meeting. I did this, but only managed to meet with Thetard's lawyers, who said Thetard would no longer present himself for further meetings ...

"I tried to see Thetard again, but I was not successful. When Thetard's name appeared on the state's list of witnesses I did not try to contact him again.

"I deny that any discussion between Thetard, me and Zuma dealt with any matter like defence contracts and the protection of Thomson. I have known Jacob Zuma for all of my adult life. I was not part of any scheme or plot to bribe the deputy president," Shaik said.

Shaik took the stand a week ago, after the court ruled that a number of disputed documents should be admitted into evidence.

He has pleaded not guilty to two charges of corruption and one of fraud as well as an array of alternative charges - all relating in one or more respects to his relationship with Zuma.

His evidence has made it clear that his help to Zuma was a one-way traffic of payments, with no help expected in return or needed.

His cross-examination by the leader of the state's investigation, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Billy Downer, was expected to begin this afternoon.

Shaik today admitted that he had none of the qualifications his company brochure and letterhead claimed he had.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and The Star.