Johannesburg - Vehicle financier Stannic had no record of a loan application by African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Tony Yengeni, e-tv news reported on Monday.

"We have no record of having received an application for finance from Mr Yengeni in his personal capacity," Stannic director Henk Vosloo told the broadcaster.

However, Yengeni's legal representative Themba Sangoni was adamant that his client did have proof of an application for finance for the purchase of his controversial luxury 4x4 Mercedes Benz.

"He does have a certificate that indeed shows that this was done even if Stannic may not have a record. Certainly once it is shown to Stannic they'll admit that," he told Sapa after the e-tv news broadcast.

Yengeni on Sunday placed an advertisement in a number of newspapers in reaction to media reports on the purchase of the vehicle.

The 4x4 worth about R400 000 was reportedly bought as a "staff car" at a massive discount by a company which stood to benefit from the government's ongoing multi-billion rand arms procurement programme.

Yengeni said in the advert that he approached Stannic for finance on January 7, 1999 but that the application was unsuccessful.

"This clearly indicates that [insinuations that] it was only after publication of the allegations that I sought finance is untrue. I have in my possession a copy of the application papers submitted to Stannic and I have written confirmation of delivery thereto to Stannic," the advertisement said.

Yengeni ad cost R250 000

Political parties have criticised the placement of the advertisement which cost an estimated R250 000.

Asked who paid the bill for the advert, Sangoni replied: "I don't know that."

The Pan Africanist Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging (AEB) said Yengeni should state who financed the advertisements.

AEB leader Cassie Aucamp asked why Yengeni suddenly splashed out on advertisements to supply information on his cars when he refused to do so in the past.

"And who paid for the advertisement? If it is the government, we will have a new corruption scandal to deal with. If it is Mr Yengeni himself, it would have been the most expensive Mercedes Benz he has ever bought in his life," Aucamp said on Sunday.

ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said the party had not paid for the advert and to his knowledge neither had government. 

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News 24.