Pretoria - The hearings on the government's multi-billion rand arms deal was delayed on Tuesday morning for talks between lawyers about testimony to be given by a complainant.

The Communications, Computers, Intelligence Integration Systems (C²I²), a defence information technology company, was to have testified on Tuesday morning about alleged irregularities in the awarding of a tender for information management systems.

The company’s managing director, Richard Young, claims his company was named the preferred supplier of these systems for the new corvettes acquired as part of the arms deal.

The tender was later awarded to French company Detexis. It is the sister company of African Defence Systems in which the brother of chief arms negotiator, Chippie Shaik, has a stake.

Young's testimony was expected to implicate a number of individuals and organisations in irregularities.

Young told Sapa Tuesday's delay was caused by those to be implicated claiming he had no clearance to give testimony on classified information.

The hearings were scheduled to start at 09.30am but an hour later lawyers were still locked in talks. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.