Zuma seen as possible witness
2005-02-18 08:35
Durban - Schabir Shaik's defence team will decide soon if they will call deputy president Jacob Zuma to appear on the witness stand in the fraud-and-corruption case.
Shaik, Zuma's financial advisor, said on Thursday outside the Durban High Court he and his legal team - Reeves Parsee and advocate François van Zyl SC - would decide at the weekend what their "strategy" would be.
Shaik was clearly upset on Thursday about the ruling by Judge Hilary Squires allowing key documents to be admitted as evidence.
"We expected that all documents would be allowed to be introduced," he said to Beeld.
According to him there are "wrong perceptions" about a coded fax message that would have to be put in the correct light.
Regarding the unfavourable decision for the defence Shaik said: "One cannot come to a court and assume certain things."
According to him, they "will have to call any witnesses that we might may need".
Prosecutor Billy Downer SC said outside the court the State's case "has been running according to plan all the way".
"We are looking forward to what the defence is going to have to say."