On Thursday, Judge Meyer Joffe granted prosecutor Gerrie Nel a postponement to deal with "difficulties" he said he had in consulting the next three witnesses.

Nel told the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, that not all of the witnesses were in the country and that he needed time to prepare them for their appearance in court.

Reports at the weekend said former Hyundai boss Rautenbach was one of the "missing" witnesses.

Rautenbach, who evaded South African authorities for 10 years, made a deal with the National Prosecuting Authority just before Selebi's trial began. He agreed to plead guilty to 326 charges of fraud and pay a R40-million fine.

A Sunday newspaper reported that the state was trying "frantically" to find Rautenbach, whom, it claimed, had gone into hiding to avoid testifying against Selebi.

Convicted druglord Glenn Agliotti has testified that he gave Selebi $30,000 (about R222,000) of a $100,000 payment he received from Rautenbach to get a warrant for the arrest of Rautenbach lifted.

NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga refused yesterday to comment on Rautenbach.

The next three witnesses to occupy the stand are Jurgen Kogl, a former associate of slain mining magnate Brett Kebble and a close friend of former president Thabo Mbeki, former NPA head Vusi Pikoli and SA Revenue Service official Johan van Loggerenberg.

In cross-examination last month, Agliotti testified that Kogl said in an intelligence report sent to Mbeki that Selebi was paid by the Kebbles.

Selebi, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of receiving bribes of R1.2-million from Agliotti, Kebble and Rautenbach.