Public hearings into the arms deal are leaving opposition parties as sceptical as before, claiming that Public Protector Selby Baqwa has handled Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota with kid gloves and that the exercise is leaving too many questions unanswered.

Lekota, echoing earlier evidence by cabinet colleague Alec Erwin, underlined that no MP could have influenced the outcome of the arms deal.

Only cabinet ministers were involved in deciding which arms were to be bought and from whom, said Lekota.

Democratic Party MP Raenette Taljaard said Baqwa had handled "with velvet gloves" Lekota's testimony, which had begged further cross-examination and an exploration of apparent contradictions.

'Mr Yengeni and Minister Lekota owe more answers'

She said the most important contradiction was that Lekota had said that parliament, through the Defence Review, had come to the conclusion the arms deal was necessary. This flew in the face of the public statement issued by African National Congress Chief Whip Tony Yengeni that parliament, and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence which Yengeni previously chaired, had not played a role in the procurement process.

But Lekota in his testimony had also supported the Yengeni statement "clearly contradicting his own remarks", said Taljaard.

"Mr Yengeni and Minister Lekota owe more answers - answers which the Public Protector's transparent 'public phase' is failing to answer because he is failing to ask the real probing questions," she said.

Meanwhile, a request by DA chief whip Douglas Gibson for parliament's ethics committee to look again at the question of Yengeni's alleged failure to declare a benefit in the discount he got in the purchase of his car, has been turned down.

The committee would meet as planned, after the arms inquiry.  

With acknowledgement to Clive Sawyer and The Argus.