Last state witness testifies that

The last state witness to testify at the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial on Tuesday presented documents that show Shaik used political connectivity to secure business deals and when things did not go his way, accused influential people, including former Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete, of being rude and inefficient.

During his testimony at the Durban High Court, chief investigating officer Johan du Plooy handed in 81 documents, mainly letters from Shaik to high-profile businessmen informing them of his close relationship with Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

In one case, Shaik and the director of his UK partner, Venson, had met with Tshwete over a tender to privatise police motor vehicles.

When he did not get a follow-up response from Tshwete relating to this meeting, Shaik took advice from Zuma and decided to write a letter to Tshwete in May 2001.

In this letter, Shaik told the minister that his department was inefficient and could not cater for the emerging black entrepeneur.

It also seems Shaik had a vision to found an investment bank. Before the court is a document seized from Shaik's business premises that Du Plooy said was titled "Vision for an Nkobi Bank" *1.

Shaik was confident the "Nkobi Bank" stood a "better than equal" chance of receiving an R800 000 deposit *2 from the KZN Economic Affairs and Tourism Ministry, headed by Zuma.

The document was sent to an American businessman, with whom Shaik hoped to discuss several other business proposals.

The documents show Shaik's business interests stretched as far as Kuwait, where he told businessman Foud MT Alghanim that Zuma and he shared a "long time economic goal; i.e. to establish an investment bank".

In almost all the letters, Shaik told foreign businessmen he was the special economic advisor to Zuma and was willing to set up meetings with the Deputy President.

With ackowledgements to Nivashni Nair and The Natal Witness.

*1 Interest charging or not ?

*2 Interest offering or not ?