IN A further closing of government ranks, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said yesterday there was no evidence that it tried to influence winning bidders in the R43bn arms deal to do business with particular subcontractors.

Testifying at yesterday's public hearing on the arms deal, he said government insisted on some of the procured equipment being made on SA soil but did not specify particular SA companies.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised Public Protector Selby Baqwa for treating Lekota with "velvet gloves" at the hearing.

Lekota said Tony Yengeni, former chairman of Parliament's joint standing committee on defence, was never in a position to influence the procurement process. "Sitting members of Parliament played no role in decisions on the final bidders," he said. "This was an executive function."

Earlier he said Parliament decided that "the country needed to make these acquisitions".

Democratic Alliance public accounts spokeswoman Raenette Taljaard said: "Lekota must clear up the apparent contradiction in his testimony, and state whether he supports the view that Parliament merely rubber-stamped cabinet's procurement decision."

When Lekota said regional peace-keeping and internal policing were two of the SA National Defence Force's most significant challenges, Baqwa said: "Why then did you buy Gripen fighter planes. They do not serve peacekeeping or internal policing?"

A ministerial subcommittee rejected the arms procurement negotiating team's recommendation that government defer purchasing the Gripens, the most expensive component of the deal.   

With acknowledgement to Jonny Steinberg and Business Day.