Public Protector Selby Baqwa says he and his family were on holiday in the Etosha Game Reserve in Namibia at the time he is alleged to have attended a secret meeting about the arms probe at ANC Chief Whip Tony Yengeni's home. 

In a second statement to Sapa on the issue, an irritated Baqwa said he was in Namibia from before Christmas until after New Year.  

He expressed surprise at the "length people will go to discredit this investigation and to besmirch individuals", and threatened to sue for defamation.  

Noseweek magazine claimed in its latest edition on Thursday that Baqwa, National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka and a Gauteng judge were among those who attended the meeting in the week between Christmas and New Year.  

The magazine claimed those attending the meeting were told that if they "qualified for official travel privileges" they should not use them when booking their air tickets, "as they might later be more easily traced".  

"The main item of the agenda was what to do about the investigations - called for and approved by Parliament's standing committee on public accounts."  

'They've published lies'  

Baqwa said the Noseweek article was totally devoid of journalistic ethics. "They've published lies." He was "totally dismayed" and did not know how much further "journalism decadence" will go.  

Baqwa said he was never at any meeting with those mentioned in the magazine, and did not even know where Yengeni's home was.  

He considered the article defamatory in the extreme and was consulting his lawyer.  

The Democratic Alliance said it found it almost impossible to believe that the three mentioned in the article were present at a meeting at Yengeni's home.  

"These three gentlemen owe South Africa an explanation.  

"If it is true that they were involved with Mr Yengeni, who at present has major difficulties with the ethics committee of Parliament, and about whom many unanswered questions exist, then these people and the offices that they represent are hopelessly compromised and they need to withdraw from the investigation immediately," it said.  

It was impossible to have confidence in people who met in secret to plot, when what was needed was openness and transparency, DA spokesperson Raenette Taljaard said.  

Shocking allegation  

"The allegation is so shocking that it needs to be answered immediately.  

"Unless these clear rebuttals are forthcoming, the possibility of an independent investigation agency will need to be considered to ensure that a credible probe takes place."

In addition, Parliament's standing committee on public accounts must urgently consider calling for the immediate inclusion in the multi-agency probe of a special investigation unit headed by a credible independent anti-corruption buster, Taljaard said.  

This was necessary to instil the necessary public confidence in an investigation that was seriously compromised by these allegations.  

"The whole investigation and judicial process surrounding the arms procurement deal is under suspicion. We now await answers," she said. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.