Durban - Judge Hillary Squires resumed judgment on Wednesday in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial by giving an overview of Shaik's credibility.

Squires said there were several contradictions in Shaik's testimony and that he had a tendency to blame others for acts or omissions, which should have been his responsibility.

He said some of Shaik's answers were overstated but "it could have been due to vagueness of recollection" because the events might have happened six or seven years ago.

Squires said Shaik's false claims about his qualifications were "a silly thing to do" but were perhaps understandable because he had a new enterprise and wanted to attract customers.

Squires said the disturbing aspect as Shaik's conspicuous lack of any embarrassment or remorse.

As Squires outlined some of the issues which Shaik had been cross-examined on he said Shaik "had no scruples" and that his actions showed a "tendency to avoid an unwanted result".

However, Squires pointed out that in a criminal trial "premium has to be placed on truth".

He said Shaik was not an impressive witness. In many cases his answers were long and irrelevant and he showed "flashes of candour". This, the judge said "could have been the result of natural verbosity".

He also said Shaik had no coherent answers in some cases.

Courtroom A was packed on Wednesday with even more legal heavyweights than when judgment started on Tuesday. Shaik was again surrounded by his brothers, wife, spindoctor and other supporters.

The former Scorpions investigator who started off the investigation into the Shaik case several years ago, Gerda Ferreira, who also appeared as a State witness, was also in court.

With acknowledgements to Tisha Steyn, Sapa and News24.