Durban : It was a long night for fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik and his friend Deputy President Jacob Zuma, as they waited to hear high court Judge Hilary Squires rule on Shaik's fate today.

Judgment at the end of the nearly eight-month trial started yesterday afternoon in a packed courtroom. Judge Squires warned: "It's likely to be dull and boring, so if anyone wishes to leave... they may do so".

A straight-faced Shaik sat in front, flanked by his five brothers, occasionally making notes. Judgment was expected to be concluded by lunchtime today.

Behind Shaik sat his wife, Zuleikha, who was in court only for the second time since the start of the trial last October. On the same bench was former journalist, Ranjeni Munusamy, believed to be acting as Shaik's spindoctor.

Shaik was greeted with shouts of "Viva" by a crowd gathered outside the courtroom as he arrived 15 minutes before judgment was due to start.

Judge Squires started by giving a detailed breakdown of the charges - two of corruption and one of fraud - all involving alleged irregular financial dealings relating to Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

He also explained the crime of corruption, and pointed out the questions that needed to be answered in the case before him. These included whether payments made to Zuma were done with the intent of influencing him to use his political office to promote Shaik's business interests.

If the payments were loans, as claimed by Shaik, the court still had to determine whether these constituted a benefit as defined under corruption laws, Judge Squires said.

On the fraud count, it had to be determined whether Shaik had been aware that the write-off of payments to Zuma were irregular.

Squires said he would also have to decide whether Shaik had indeed sought a bribe of R500 000 a year for Zuma, in return for which the deputy president was to protect the interests of Nkobi's French business partner Thomson-CSF.

Squires said the events that gave rise to the charges against Shaik had their genesis in the 1994 change of government.

This led to a range of new philosophies designed to open economic and political doors to new participants previously excluded.

"Schabir Shaik was one of the expected beneficiaries," the judge said.

But Shaik's dealings gave rise to conflict between himself and his political home, the ANC.

This was apparently caused by a belief that Shaik was using his ties to the party to strike business deals with the intent of keeping the profits to himself, Judge Squires said.

With acknowledgements to Wendy Jasson da Costa, Mariette le Roux, Sapa and the Cape Times.