Parliament's public accounts committee chairperson, Gavin Woods, on Thursday said he was aware of allegations of a secret December meeting at the home of ANC Chief Whip Tony Yengeni involving top officials in the arms probe. 

"I've been aware of the allegations for some time," he told Sapa, adding these had been made by two different sources. "I don't know whether they were factual or not."  

Asked what he did with the information, he said: "Allegations such as these I filed and ignored."  

A list of names in his possession of those who allegedly attended the meeting was, however, longer than the one published in Thursday's edition of Noseweek magazine.  

Woods wouldn't name others  

Woods declined to say who else was named, saying he did not want to fuel what amounted to mere allegations at this stage. However, if there was truth in the claims, "it will obviously have serious consequences".  

In its latest issue, the magazine claims that Public Protector Selby Baqwa, National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka and a Gauteng judge were among those who attended.  

Baqwa has dismissed the claims as "nonsense and balderdash", and said he was out of the country at the time of the alleged meeting.  

His spokesperson, Nicolette Teichmann, said as far as she was aware Baqwa was in Namibia with his family over the festive season.  

A spokesperson for Ngcuka, Sipho Ngwema, on Thursday said his principal was overseas and he was unable to contact him. "But I have doubts about such a meeting. I was in constant contact with him over that period and I don't think he was in Cape Town at the time." The judge was not immediately available for comment.  

The magazine claimed that those attending the meeting were told that if they "qualified for official travel privileges" they should not use them when booking their air tickets, "as they might later be more easily traced".  

Arms deal probe the main agenda point  

"The main item of the agenda was what to do about the investigations - called for and approved by Parliament's standing committee on public accounts."  

The meeting follows Parliament's public accounts committee's (Scopa) recommendation of a multi-agency probe into the deal, by Baqwa, Ngcuka, Auditor-General Shauket Fakie and corruption buster Judge Willem Heath.  

However, the ANC's attitude to the proposed probe changed drastically in the new year, resulting in claims that Yengeni and senior ANC leaders were trying to quash the investigation.  

The alleged meeting was followed by a surprise letter from National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala to Deputy President Jacob Zuma about Scopa's mandate.  

Ginwala's letter was used as justification by Justice Minister Penuell Maduna for the Heath unit not to be included in the probe.  

Moreover, senior ANC leaders then took charge of the party's component on Scopa, with outspoken ANC MP Andrew Feinstein - who led the charge for a multi-agency probe - inexplicably sidelined.  

ANC MPs, led by Deputy Chief Whip Geoff Doidge, did an about turn and claimed Scopa's interim report had never singled out Judge Heath.  

President Thabo Mbeki subsequently refused a proclamation for Heath to be involved in the investigation, sparking claims in some quarters that the government was trying to stifle a comprehensive probe.  

Yengeni also under unvestigation over luxury car  

Yengeni is under investigation by the three agencies after claims that he received a luxury vehicle as a kickback from a company with an interest in the R43 billion arms deal. He has denied the claims and insists he acquired the car legitimately.  

Fakie, who was not named in Noseweek as one of those attending the alleged meeting, declined to comment. His spokesperson, Lynette van Rooyen, said Fakie was aware of the article, but "he's not commenting".  

Asked whether Fakie would investigate the claims, she said she had not discussed the matter with him and was not aware of such an initiative.  

Yengeni's spokesperson Dennis Cruywagen declined to comment. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.