Cape Town - Parliament's watchdog public accounts committee (Scopa) did not have the capacity or time to further investigate government's controversial arms deal, African National Congress (ANC) committee members argued on Tuesday.

However, this should not stop individual members of the committee, including its chairman Gavin Woods (IFP) requesting and studying new information on the multi-billion deal.

ANC MP Bruce Kannemeyer said Scopa should concentrate on its own work and leave the probe to the three agencies dealing with the issue, but individuals had the right to investigate in their own capacity.

"Nothing is preventing any member of the committee asking the department of defence for documents... a member of the committee does not need a mandate to check for more information."

The precedent for this had been set by the Democratic Alliance's Raenette Taljaard, who had already requested additional documentation.

Woods has asked the committee for a mandate to request documents from the Department of Defence in an attempt to revive Parliament's oversight of the arms deal.

In a letter to committee members, dated June 6, Woods said Scopa was obliged, in terms of its 14th report of last year, approved by the National Assembly, to continue its own investigation into the arms deal.

This obligation existed notwithstanding the multi-agency investigation.

He has requested evaluation reports covering the technical, financial and industrial participation aspects of the main offers.

Woods originally put the proposal to the committee during an open plenary session on May 30.

Kannemeyer said unless Woods specified the areas that required investigation there could be overlap with the official probe into the deal.

The committee did not have the capacity or the time to undertake a parallel probe.

The committee had lost four months of work due to deliberations on the arms deal and had to address a stockpile of Auditor-General reports.

The arms deal is the subject of a probe by the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the Public Protector and the Auditor-General.

Woods was also criticised by the ANC for releasing the letter to the media before discussing it within Scopa.

Speaking on Tuesday, Woods said the committee had a responsibility to continue its own investigation into the arms deal.

If it was to decide against carrying out that obligation, Scopa would have to inform Parliament.

Woods said he was prepared to study the documentation on his own, but would prefer it to be a committee decision.

"I would want to do it as a committee, but I am prepared to do it myself."

He would put any finding made during this analysis to the committee.

Woods said the public would only be satisfied with the probe and be prepared to put the issue to rest if Scopa was able to "put its stamp of approval" on the investigating team's final report on the deal.

The members, therefore, had to be informed about the issues under investigation to provide an proper evaluation of the probe, he said.

ANC MP Billy Nair, who has in the past been openly critical of Woods' actions as Scopa chairman, said Woods was trying to "put the ANC on the carpet".

The letter was an attempt to instil on public perception that the ANC was reluctant to allow Scopa access to new documentation.

The agencies, who had the expertise to investigate the deal, should be allowed to continue with the probe.

It should be made clear to the media and the public that nothing should stop any individual from obtaining and studying information regarding the deal, he said.

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News24.