Cape Town - Parliament will not take any action against ANC chief whip, Tony Yengeni, until a judicial process has taken place, National Assembly's speaker Frene Ginwala said on Wednesday.

Despite the fact that he was arrested earlier on Wednesday in connection with fraud charges relating to his luxury 4x4 Mercedes Benz, the ANC and Ginwala both insist that Yengeni remains innocent until proven guilty.

Yengeni is currently out on R10 000 bail, and both Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and the Scorpions have explained that his arrest has nothing to do with controversial arms deal.

In a statement Ginwala said that "a judicial process has commenced, and as any other citizen Yengeni is entitled to be presumed innocent until proven guilty".

She emphasised that parliament will consider any action after the due process of the law has been concluded.

The Constitution provides that a member automatically loses membership of the assembly if he or she is convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months' imprisonment without the option of a fine.

Ginwala said that since the ANC appointed Yengeni to the National Assembly, the matter was now in their hands.

Earlier, the ANC's Smuts Ngonyama told News24 that Yengeni will remain the party's chief whip until tangible documents had been provided to the organisation.

Due process of the law

Ginwala's statement comes amid a motion posed on Wednesday in parliament by DA chief whip, Douglas Gibson, that Yengeni be suspended pending the duration of his criminal hearing to protect the "dignity of parliament".

A report to the party's leadership on the fate of Yengeni is expected soon, according to Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who told reporters on Wednesday after a meeting of the ANC parliamentary political committee that he could only comment after the party had decided on the matter.

He said that the committee had discussed a number of issues at the meeting, including the charges against Yengeni.

Yengeni is facing charges of corruption, forgery, fraud and statutory perjury arising from his acquisition of a discounted luxury 4X4 vehicle from a company which played a role during arms deal negotiations.

Opposition parties want Yengeni out

Opposition parties on Wednesday urged parliament to suspend Yengeni with some calling for the investigation to be expanded.

UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa said that Yengeni's arrest "casts new suspicions over the other people who appear to have benefitted in a similar fashion as Yengeni" from the R43 billion arms deal.

Holomisa said that SA National Defence Force chief, Siphiwe Nyanda, was among those who should be investigated.

Nyanda is also said to have received a discounted vehicle via European Aeronautic Defence Systems, a company which had interests in the arms deal.  

With acknowledgment to Mahap Msiza and News24.