The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) says it will not make public the names of senior government officials said to be connected to irregularities in the government's controversial R43 billion arms deal. The party says it has no new evidence to disclose at a preparatory investigation to which it has been summoned by the agencies investigating the deal, and also accused the investigators of high-handedness in summonsing party officials.

The controversy about the arms deal intensified earlier this week with reports that the PAC was about to disclose the names of five senior government members implicated in irregularities. But the party now says the wrong signals were sent at a news conference it called.

 It says the names arose in discussions between the PAC and reporters investigating the deal and all the party wanted to convey was that the officials would soon be identified in the media.

 PAC now apologises for causing 'confusion'

"The president of the PAC made it quite clear today that we will under no circumstances name people now or in future because we do no want sensation out of this. We seek justice and therefore the names will come from other investigating agencies including agencies within the media, but it would not come from the PAC, and I really apologise for the confusion all of this has caused," says De Lille.

She says the investigators already have all the documentation she gathered on the alleged irregularities. De Lille says she is willing to co-operate, although she is not sure that she can supply any information that they do not already have. She has accused them of high-handedness in issuing summonses without any prior communication with her.

PAC lawyers have obtained a postponement of the preparatory investigation. De Lille and Thami ka Plaatjie, the PAC's secretary general, will now appear before the Directorate of Public Prosecutions early in May.

 With acknowledgment to SABC News.