Durban - Because of their "political influence", Deputy President Jacob Zuma and his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, were accepted as clients of Absa - despite their high credit risk rating.

"They came as a package deal," the former manager here of Absa Private Bank, John Dwyer, said in giving evidence yesterday at Shaik's high court trial on two counts of corruption and one of fraud.

Dwyer said the bank had to accept both men because if either was rebuffed this could have had negative implications for Absa, which managed several government accounts.

Zuma had not told the bank about his debts or that he had a R2-million revolving credit agreement with Shaik.

Absa Private Bank deals only with select clients with millions in assets.

Under "comments" on Zuma's client acceptance form, it is noted that: "Mr Zuma will receive a R5m pension in 2004. His salary is periodically adapted upwards."

Written next to "motivation" on the form is: "Mr Zuma, being Deputy President of South Africa, is an influential person who has stated his support for Absa - we need black clients."

The form said Zuma's net asset value was unknown. At the time, in 2001, Zuma was more than R10 000 overdrawn, Dwyer said. Shaik was overdrawn 15 times in 12 months.

On his application, Zuma told Absa he expected to receive a pension of R5 million by 2004, said Dwyer. The potential R5m was the "clinching factor".

Shaik had told the bank he had a net asset value of R7.2m.

Credit manager Ian McLeod had said he could not recommend they be taken on. Zuma and Shaik each had a "4" credit rating, which meant they were considered very high-risk.

Dwyer said he had nevertheless decided to take them on under certain conditions.

In an e-mail to McLeod, he said: "These two have a high political profile. Zuma in particular was apparently invited by Nallie Bosman (Absa's chief executive officer) to become a client of the Absa Group."

Shaik and Zuma's accounts were later referred back to the Absa Business Centre.

"We were uneasy about them," Dwyer said. "The Private Bank is a small operation. We did not have the manpower to manage difficult accounts."

Earlier, a police handwriting expert, Marius Rehder, said the handwritten version of the encrypted fax referring to a R500 000-a-year fee for "JZ" had definitely been written by arms company Thomson-CSF's boss, Alain Thetard.

He was also asked to comment on a handwritten note, saying "conflict with intention", in the margin of a document said to be a service provider agreement between Shaik's Nkobi group and Thomson-CSF. Rehder said it was highly likely the note had been written by Shaik.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis, Sapa and the Cape Times.