The public hearing on the probe into South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal will resume in the Pretoria High Court today.

The hearing was postponed two weeks ago without any evidence being led.

The decision to postpone was taken by Public Protector Selby Baqwa after the senior counsel for the Defence Department, Michael Kuper, contended the subject matter in the hearing was complicated and required more study and preparation from his team.

A ruling was also expected on Monday on whether radio and television would be allowed to broadcast the hearing.

Meanwhile, e-tv news reported on Sunday that two forensic auditors, Wally van Heerden and Etienne Smit, had been dropped from the investigation.

Baqwa's spokeswoman Nicolette Teichmann said one of the men was taken off the probe because he was an auditor for the Defence Department.

Teichmann could not confirm the names of the two men but Van Heerden told Sapa on Sunday that he withdrew from the investigations about two months ago.

Three government agencies -- Baqwa's office, the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Auditor-General's Office -- are probing between 40 and 50 allegations of wrongdoing in the arms deal at the request of Parliament’s watchdog public accounts committee.

In terms of the deal, South Africa will over the next few years acquire four corvettes, three submarines, 30 light utility helicopters, 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainers and 28 Gripen
advanced light fighter aircraft.

Meanwhile, parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) has indicated that it was obliged to continue with its own investigation into the arms deal.

With acknowledgment to Sapa and the Sunday Times.