Fraudster Shaik on the menu
● A pasta dish named after one of SA’s most controversial medical parolees is back on the menu.
Like Shaik — who was deemed terminally ill and released on medical parole 10 years ago this week — Linguine à la Shaik is very much alive.
The pasta with olive oil, garlic, chilli and fresh tomato is a firm favourite in Durban restaurant Spiga, which has reopened on Shaik’s doorstep in Innes Road, Morningside.
The family-owned Italian restaurant closed its doors on Durban’s entertainment strip, Florida Road, last year and when it reopened this year its favourite patron, Shaik, was there to support it.
“Schabir still comes in often. Now that we are closer to him, he just has to pop around the corner,” said owner Marco Santoniccolo.
Shaik’s love of Italian food led Santoniccolo to do special home deliveries to his “friend” when the fraudster was released on medical parole in 2009.
Over the past 10 years, seeing Shaik in the restaurant has delighted patrons.
“I wouldn’t say that people come in just to see him, but when they do see him, they definitely do a double take,” Santoniccolo said.
He describes Linguine à la Shaik as “punchy and hot”, laughing off a question about whether this mirrors the dish’s namesake.
Shaik has taken punchy to a new level on several occasions during his 10-year medical parole, including fisticuffs with a fellow worshipper over parking outside a mosque.
Shaik — who facilitated an alleged bribe of R500,000 between former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales to protect the company from an investigation into the multibillion-rand arms deal — was released on medical parole on March 3 2009 after serving 28 months of his 15-year jail sentence for fraud and corruption.
He served most of his sentence in St Augustine’s private hospital and Inkosi Albert Luthuli state hospital.
He was given parole on medical grounds after his doctors told the parole board that he was in “the final phase of a terminal disease”.
His doctors said he was also clinically de- pressed‚ losing his eyesight‚ had suffered a stroke‚ and would die from “severe” high blood pressure.
Since then he has been spotted shopping‚ dining at fancy restaurants including Spiga, and playing golf.
In April 2015 the parole board relaxed conditions “to accommodate his needs”.
Shaik is allowed to work from 8am to 6.30pm from Monday to Friday‚ attend his son’s school functions and to play a sport
Schabir still comes in often. Now that we are closer to him, he just has to pop around the corner
Marco Santoniccolo
Restaurant owner
once a week.
KwaZulu-Natal department of correctional services spokesperson Thulani Mdluli told the Sunday Times this week that Shaik’s medical parole conditions are monitored.
“He has our office consultation every two months as a monitoring system per his parole conditions, and appears before supervision committee every six months,” he said.
If Spiga is still open in five years’ time, Shaik can devour his favourite meal as a “free” man.
“Once his sentence expires he will not be expected to adhere to the conditions,” said Mdluli.