The African National Congress has confirmed that its chief whip and National Executive Committee (NEC) member Tony Yengeni was arrested this morning on charges of corruption, fraud, statutory perjury and forgery.

Justice Minister Penuell Maduna said afterwards the arrest had nothing to do with the multi-billion rand arms deal and told SAfm it came about as a result of another investigation by the Scorpions, initiated by DaimlerChrysler.

ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama told iafrica.com that Yengeni's arrest was made on the grounds of a “Mercedes Benz issue with their customer”.

Reaction from opposition political parties to the latest developments has been swift.

PAC MP Patricia de Lille has told Sapa that the ANC must "do the right thing" and suspend Yengeni immediately. She says there is no better place for Yengeni to have his say on the allegations than in a court of law. "The court will now decide if he is innocent or guilty."

She says the second important issue is what Parliament should do in response to the charges. She maintains Parliament's ethics committee should be convened as soon as possible to investigate the matter in the light of the new developments, and that the ANC should suspend Yengeni.

Though the ANC has denied any link between Yengeni's arrest and the arms deal, speculation to the contrary seems to be growing.

Speaking for the Democratic Alliance, public accounts spokesperson Raenette Taljaard said she hoped the actions taken against Yengeni meant the report into the arms deal would be substantive and that investigators would follow on these actions.

In his reaction to Yengeni's arrest, United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa said: "The warrant of arrest issued for Michael Woerfel... casts new suspicions over the other people who appear to have benefited in a similar fashion as Yengeni." This included SA National Defence Force chief General Siphiwe Nyanda, he said.
"We hope that the Scorpions will focus their investigations and possible prosecutions on these people too," Holomisa said.

Parliament's public accounts committee (Scopa) chairperson Dr Gavin Woods said he was encouraged by reports that Yengeni had been arrested, as this showed investigators were serious about getting to the bottom of the allegations concerning the deal.

"I am encouraged that the investigation has led to action that will obviously not be popular politically-speaking.
"This is a courageous attempt by the investigators to get to the bottom of the allegations."

He said there appeared to be a growing confidence in the forensic side of the investigation being directed the Auditor-General Shauket Fakie.

The controversial multi-billion rand arms deal is being investigated by the AG, the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the office of the Public Protector.  

With acknowledgement to Sapa, staff reporter and iafrica.com.