President Thabo Mbeki would consider appointing a special investigating unit (SIU) if this was needed to probe South Africa's R43-billion arms deal, the presidency said on Thursday. 

"There is absolutely no problem with considering the involvement of an SIU at an appropriate time," said presidential legal adviser Mojanku Gumbi in Pretoria. 

She said an appropriate time would be after the amendment of the act governing SIUs, provided that prima facie evidence of wrongdoing in the arms deal had emerged by that stage. 

"If the investigation is still on and there is a need for that kind of power and skill (of an SIU), the president will certainly consider that." 

'Bribed to award the bid to them' 

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota believes the government followed all the required procedures relating to the strategic arms procurement deal. 

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the South African National Editors Forum (KwaZulu-Natal) in Durban on Thursday, Lekota said he was satisfied the government had acted as honestly as possible. 

"However, this does not mean there could not have been an individual who was approached by some company or individual and bribed to award the bid to them," he said. 

He also said the assertion that members of parliament had illegally benefited from the arms deal did not hold water as they were not part of the process of procurement. 

Lekota added it was essential that people with evidence should come forward. 

'The tensions between the government and Heath were there long before' 

"If one looks at all the documents relating to the deal, on the face of it one will not find any irregularities. One needs evidence. One needs witnesses. Then only will the allegations stand up in court," he said. 

He said it was critical that people such as Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille should take their information to someone in authority whom they trusted. 

He also said it was a misconception that the government was trying to hide something by getting rid of Judge Willem Heath. 

"The tensions between the government and Heath were there long before. The Constitutional Court findings, that the commission cannot be headed by a judge, has nothing to do with us," he said. 

With acknowledgement to Sapa and Independent Online.