The head of Government Communications and Information Services (GCIS), Joel Netshitenzhe, has said the government wholly supports continued investigations into matters regarding the arms procurement package.

Incidentally, government noted the recent actions conducted by the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions). Netshitenzhe said in a statement: "The law must take its course and must be seen to do so".

However, it should be emphasised that as the report of the joint investigating team's probe into the arms deal said, these investigations did not detract from the key findings and recommendations.

Netshitenzhe said: "Key amongst these is that there was nothing untoward with regard to the primary contracting process. "We also wish to reaffirm the principle that any citizen is innocent until proven otherwise".

Earlier this morning, Shabir Shaik, a bidding contractor in the multi-billion rand arms procurement deal, was arrested in Durban for possession of classified government documents.

National Director of Public Prosecutions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said Shaik was allegedly in possession of Cabinet minutes in which the arms procurement was discussed, and also correspondence between the departments of Public Enterprises and Defence.

He said Shaik was a bidding contractor, competing with other contenders, yet he had inside information. "He must explain that in court." Asked how Shaik might have obtained the documents, Ngwema replied: "I don't know, but you know and I know that his brother is in the Defence Department." Shaik's brother, Chippy, is the head of acquisitions in the Department of Defence.