The state will foot Schabir Shaik’s legal costs at the Constitutional Court next year when he fights to retain his assets worth about R33-million, the Star newspaper reported on Friday.
In an application to the Durban High Court recently, Shaik indicated that he had no cash and would need about R2,5-million to cover legal costs.
The newspaper said the state agreed to give Shaik the money — but not in hard cash.
”Shaik’s lawyers will have to submit actual legal bills, which will then be paid by the court-appointed curator, Trevor White.”
The newspaper said in return Shaik had surrendered Cellsaf shares to White as security.
After founding Shaik guilty of a ”mutually beneficial symbiosis” with Jacob Zuma, Judge Hilary Squires granted an order that some of Shaik’s assets be forfeited to the state as they were ill-gotten.
At the end of November, Shaik was back in prison after spending 10 days in Durban’s Albert Luthuli Hospital after suffering a mild stroke. He was sent to hospital on November 10 after doctors advised it would be best for his health.
The Saturday Star reported at the time that Shaik’s younger brother Yunus as saying that he was moved back after doctors stabilised his blood pressure. He said although the full extent of the damage that might have been caused to his organs by the stroke was not yet known, doctors felt he no longer needed hospitalisation.
Yunus reportedly said his brother would continue receiving treatment in prison and would be exercising to help him recover fully from the stroke. — Sapa