[JURIST] The South African Constitutional Court [official website] Tuesday dismissed [press release] the final appeal of businessman Schabir Shaik, a former business associate of former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma [ANC party profile], who was seeking to have his 2005 conviction for fraud and corruption [JURIST report] overturned. The court found [judgment text, PDF] no merit in Shaik's allegations that his trial was unfair. The Court did rule that Shaik can challenge the confiscation of certain assets allegedly associated with his crimes. AFP has more.

Shaik applied for leave to appeal [JURIST report] his conviction and 15-year jail sentence in December 2006 after the South African Supreme Court of Appeals [official website] upheld the conviction [JURIST report] in November. Shaik's appeal hearing before the Constitutional Court [JURIST report] began in May 2007.