Durban: Despite opposition from the Scorpions, Schabir Shaik has been given back his passport to allow him to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Scorpions believe Shaik is a flight risk and may attempt to move abroad some of his assets - valued at between R40 million and R70m - if he goes.

"We are aware that he held an offshore account in Switzerland at a certain stage and the possibility that other such accounts exist cannot be excluded," investigating officer Johan du Plooy said in an affidavit, in which he opposed the return of the passport, before the high court here.

"He may use this opportunity to move funds or other assets offshore or to move assets and funds already offshore to frustrate our attempts to trace them," Du Plooy said.

Shaik has been found by a judge to have had a "generally corrupt" relationship with now-sacked deputy president Jacob Zuma.

His application for his passport to be returned was heared by KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Vuka Tshabalala.

Shaik is expected to leave for Saudi Arabia at the end of this week and return on November 5, just days before a planned hearing into the possible confiscation of his assets.

The state, with Shaik's consent, has "preserved" assets worth R30m, the bulk of which were shares held by Nkobi Investments in French arms company Thint.

According to a report filed with the court by curator Trevor White, however, he has yet to receive the shares because they are being held by Nedbank to cover a loan given to Shaik by the French company.

White said he had not been allowed to attend any Thint shareholder meetings to ensure that the 7 464 shares were not being mismanaged.

In his report, White says Shaik has also handed over R250 000 in cash and an original share certificate for 500 shares in Cellsaf, an empowerment company with interests in Cell C. These are conservatively estimated to be worth R20m.

According to a balance sheet provided by Shaik, he has assets worth R48m, most of it in shares in Starcorp, which holds 92% of shares in Nkobi Holdings. Ramiall Lechman, a director of Nkobi Holdings, estimates the value of the group to be more than R73m.

With acknowledgements to Tania Broughton and the Cape Times.