A major showdown is looming in the State v Schabir Shaik trial in Durban over 13 French documents seized by Mauritian authorities on the Scorpions' request.

Shaik has pleaded not guilty to two charges of corruption and another of fraud, relating mostly to his relationship with Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

Forensic auditor Johan van der Walt's evidence was interrupted this morning for the State to lead the evidence of Chief Inspector Pierre Corect.

Corect led the raid on the Mauritian offices of French arms company Thales International in 2001.

Advocate Francois van Zyl SC, for Shaik, told the court that his client would attack the admissibility of the 13 documents seized.*1

Van Zyl said he had a court order in his possession in which the Mauritian authorities gave an assurance that these documents would not be sent to South Africa without prior notice to Thales.

Advocate Billy Downer SC said he wished to place on record that what Van Zyl called a court order was an agreement of which the court merely took cognisance.

He said, however, that it was true that the effect of the agreement was that Mauritian authorities would not send the documents to South Africa.

Judge Hilary Squires also provisionally dismissed an application by the State to lead the evidence of Professor John Lennon via satellite link from Glasgow in Scotland.

Judge Squires said he did not think that the facility proposed by the State was proper, but if the State found a better place to set up the satellite link, he would reconsider.

Meanwhile, the court heard yesterday that it was Zuma who helped "anxious" Durban businessman Schabir Shaik when his French business connections faltered, because President Thabo Mbeki had allegedly indicated that Shaik was not a suitable black economic empowerment partner.

Van Zyl said Shaik would admit to another two meetings between Zuma and Thomson-CSF, mostly *2 about sorting out the BEE deal concerning African Defence Systems.

The trial continues.

With acknowledgement to the Cape Argus.

*1 A baker's dozen of smoking AK-47s.

*2 "mostly", which means not only.