Pretoria - The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Friday night it was alarmed by the "scant detail" on the public hearing into the R43-billion arms procurement deal, which were released earlier in the day by the joint investigating team.

The DA asked whether the forensic investigation would be finalised before the public hearing, which is due to begin in Pretoria on May 28.

"Unless the forensic investigation is complete before the Joint Investigating Team embarks on public hearings the forensic investigation," the party said in a statement.

The party also questioned what steps would be taken to protect the admissibility of evidence emerging from the hearings in future criminal cases.

"... and what is the status of that evidence depending on the legal status of the hearings themselves?"

What procedural steps would be taken to protect the constitutional rights of witnesses and what provision would be made for the key procedure of cross examination, was another bone of contention the DA said.

"In the absence of clear answers the public hearings approach in the investigation runs the risk of amounting to little more than a PR exercise that will compromise the forensic aspects of the investigation," the DA said.

The investigation agencies said earlier on Friday that the hearings would only deal with facets of allegations that would not compromise the criminal and forensic aspects of the investigation.

Between 40 and 50 allegations of wrongdoing in the arms deal were being investigated.

In a statement the joint investigating team said the hearings, to be held at the Pretoria High Court, were complimentary to a forensic investigation.

"Therefore, the public inquiry phase will only commence once the forensic investigation has reached a fairly advanced stage."

"Careful consideration is being given to ensure that only those aspects of the allegations that will not compromise the forensic and criminal investigation are heard in public."

The probe is being conducted by Public Protector Selby Baqwa, Auditor-General Shauket Fakie and National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka.

A team of about 30 members from the three agencies and a number of experts contracted from outside were handling the criminal and forensic probe.

The public hearings would be led by a core panel of three, comprising representatives from all three agencies and were expected to last up to two months.

The panel was expected to start the proceedings with a review of events leading up to the awarding of the arms contracts. Evidence would then be led. In the final phase, the panel would sum up evidence to be incorporated into the investigation report.

Exact details of the allegations under investigation would only be provided when this report was finalised.

"Confidentiality is being maintained to protect witnesses and the integrity of the information under investigation," the three agencies said.

They added there was likely to be an interval between the completion of the hearings and the presentation of their findings.  

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.