Durban - The future of Schabir Shaik's Nkobi Holdings and its subsidiaries, which have been awarded government contracts, is unclear after the Durban high court found Shaik and nine of his companies guilty of fraud and corruption.
Judge Hilary Squires yesterday found Shaik guilty on charges of corruption along with his companies Nkobi Holdings, Nkobi Investments, Kobifin, Kobitech, Proconsult, Pro Con Africa, Kobitech Transport Systems, Clegton and Slorin investments.
Shaik was also found guilty of fraud, along with his companies Kobifin, Pro Con Africa, Clegton and Slorin Investments. Kobifin and Kobitech were also found guilty of money laundering.
Several Nkobi Holdings subsidiaries have been awarded government contracts but attempts yesterday to get clarity from the government on the status of these contracts in light of the judgment were unsuccessful.
Representatives for the department of defence and the department of transport did not return calls, neither did Nkobi Holdings respond to a request for comment. Inquiries directed to certain Nkobi Holdings' subsidiaries were redirected to Nkobi Holdings.
However, the government issued a general statement yesterday saying "while recognising that there may be a number of implications for government arising out of the judgment, this is a matter that will require considered reflection by legal and political authorities".
The statement continued: "Government has also noted the assertions in the judgment on matters pertaining to the strategic defence procurement process. These assertions are consistent with the main finding of the joint investigation team of the auditor-general, the public protector and the national directorate of public prosecutions on the integrity of primary contracting, which was the core responsibility of government.
"To the extent that the trial dealt with an outstanding issue pertaining to secondary contracting, it was taking forward matters that the team itself had found required further investigation."
It did not elaborate on what these matters were.
It was previously reported that African Defence Systems, in which Nkobi Holdings holds a stake, was awarded a contract by the department of defence to supply systems for the corvettes procured in the government's arms deal.
The department of transport awarded Prodiba, a consortium in which Nkobi subsidiary Kobitech has a stake, a R264 million contract to manufacture the credit card format driver's licence.
The transport department also awarded a contract to upgrade the N3 toll road between Johannesburg and Durban to a consortium in which Kobi-Infrastructure, another Nkobi Holdings subsidiary, has an interest.
In his judgment, Squires said: "We have no doubt that an agreement was reached by Shaik and Thetard that Thomson would pay Zuma R500 000 a year to secure benefits."