Public Protector Selby Baqwa has asked for protection from Parliament against "improper" attacks made on himself and his office by MPs, particularly from the Pan Africanist Congress.

Briefing the National Assembly's justice portfolio committee on Tuesday on his budget vote, Baqwa questioned how MPs could attack the public protector when he had to report to them.

How could MPs task the public protector, Auditor-General Shauket Fakie and National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka to investigate the multibillion-rand arms deal and then "stick us in the eye", Baqwa asked.

He was referring to statements by the PAC that said the party had no confidence in the investigation as Baqwa and other members of the investigative team were alleged to have met with ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni - who has been implicated in the probe - at his house over Christmas, according to a media report.

Baqwa was out of the country at the time, according to reliable sources.

Baqwa complained that MPs had "put a spanner in the wheels" of an investigation that they had started.

Sapa reports that Baqwa said it was not possible to give a "ballpark figure" on the cost of public hearings into the multibillion-rand arms acquisition programme.

He said a figure of R15-million had been mooted initially, but this had changed once it was clear the standing committee on public accounts would not be playing a pivotal role. - Parliamentary Bureau

With acknowledgment to Andre Koopman and The Star.