Durban – A state witness testifying against the financial adviser of South Africa's embattled Deputy President Jacob Zuma on Friday said there was possible proof that the top politician had taken thinly disguised bribes to support an extravagant lifestyle.

Johan van der Walt, an auditor, detailed an intricate web of financial dealings between Zuma's adviser Shabir Shaik and his company Nkobi Holdings, the local subsidiary of a French multinational and Zuma himself.

In one of post- apartheid South Africa's biggest trials, Shaik faces three main charges of fraud and corruption which include claims he paid Zuma to use his political clout to secure business deals.

Shaik has said he made several loans to Zuma, whom he describes as an old friend.

"There is no indication in the books of Nkobi of an existence of a loan to Zuma," Van der Walt told the court on Friday.

"The accounting records do not, as required by law, reflect the loans," he said.

The witness also said that implicated in the financial dealings involving Zuma.

In addition to the main counts of fraud and corruption, Shaik faces secondary counts including money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and contravening the Companies Act.

Shaik has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but has admitted that he made "loans" to Zuma who had financial troubles.

He allegedly paid Zuma nearly R1,3m between 1995 and 2001 to use his political influence to help secure lucrative business deals for Nkobi.

Shaik also stands accused of brokering a bribe between Zuma and Thint, the South African subsidiary of the French arms and engineering firm Thales International, formerly known as Thomson-CSF.

According to the alleged deal, Thint would pay Zuma R500 000 a year in return for protection from investigations into suspected irregularities in a controversial multi-billion-dollar government arms deal.

Earlier in the trial, defence lawyers claimed the payments were part of a two million rand revolving loan account Shaik set up for the deputy president.

"It is still not evident what total amount is owed by Zuma to Shaik or his companies," Van der Walt said.

The state has submitted a 259-page report, which was commissioned by the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) as evidence that payments Shaik made to Zuma amounting to almost R1,2 were intended as bribes.

NPA spokesman Sipho Ngwema said: "We are very happy with this witnesss testimony." After a relatively slow start a little more than two weeks ago, the trial– which has far-reaching political implications for South Africa's second citizen – has gained dramatic momentum.

Three former secretaries – of whom two worked for former Thompson CSF boss Alain Thetard and for Shaik – testified on the alleged annual bribe the French company had agreed to pay Zuma for protection against a probe into arms deal irregularities.

Financial records then showed that on a monthly basis, Zuma spent more than he earned. The court also heard how Shaik picked up the tab for everything: from Zumas rent and car payments to his childrens' school fees and even his telephone bills.

The businessman provided the deputy president with Armani and Gucci suits.

Van der Walt testified that, according to the forensic probe, part of a two million rand sum given to Zuma by former president Nelson Mandela in October 2000 was used to pay Zuma and Shaiks debts.

The money, the state said, was intended for a provincial education trust fund.

The intrigues deepened earlier this week when the man responsible for Nelson Mandelas wardrobe was mentioned several times in proceedings.

Van der Walt testified that Yusuf Surtee, code-named "the tailor" and allegedly regarded as a "middle man" in the governments arms procurement negotiations had acted as a go between.

The trial is expected to run for at least another month.

With acknowledgements to AFP and the Citizen.