The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) filed papers on Thursday to oppose the State Security Ministry's (SSM's) application for leave to appeal a judgment that would allow former national intelligence coordinator Barry Gilder to testify in the Jackie Selebi trial.

NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said the papers were filed with the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), but he declined to discuss the contents of the papers.

"We will not share with the media the contents of our papers as all issues in the dispute will be ventilated through the proper forum, which is the court," he said in a statement.

The SSM lodged a petition at the SCA early in January to overturn a decision from Judge Meyer Joffe to compel Gilder to testify in former National Police Commissioner Selebi's corruption trial in the Johannesburg High Court.

Selebi is facing a count of corruption and another of defeating the ends of justice in connection with at least R1,2-million he allegedly received from convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti, slain mining magnate Brett Kebble and ex-Hyundai boss Billy Rautenbach in return for favours.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Gilder is expected to testify about a 2005 draft intelligence report which contained a single paragraph about allegedly untoward payments Selebi was receiving from Kebble.

In their petition, the ministry had argued his testimony could compromise national security.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel had insisted the testimony the state wanted from Gilder was already in the public domain.

Mhaga earlier said the petition was not filed on an urgent basis. The SCA's roll was apparently full for the next few months. The NPA's response to the Ministry's application for leave to appeal was due on Friday (15 January), Mhaga told Sapa.

He said the ministry now had a chance to respond to the NPA's papers, before it would be heard in the SCA. No dates had been set yet.

Selebi's corruption case resumes in the High Court in Johannesburg on February 1, but it was likely that it would be postponed for the appeal to be finalised.