Durban businessman Schabir Shaik's appeal against his fraud and corruption convictions has been dismissed. Reading the order of the judgment in Bloemfontein, the Supreme Court of Appeal president Craig Howie said there were also no grounds to change Shaik's effective prison sentence of 15 years.

The full judgment was to be made available in written form afterwards.

Shaik was convicted at the Durban High Court in July last year. Judge Hilary Squires sentenced him to 15 years in prison on each of two corruption counts, and another three years for fraud. The sentences were to run concurrently.

On September 26, the SCA reserved judgment on the appeal. The next day, the court also reserved judgment in a civil appeal against an asset forfeiture order of about R34 million.

Shaik did not attend the proceedings in Bloemfontein, and was to respond to the judgment at a lunchtime media conference in Cape Town. 

With acknowledgement to Sapa.