THE African National Congress' 22-member political committee in Parliament has reportedly asked Tony Yengeni to step down as the party's chief whip. As Chief Whip, Yengeni is the man responsible for maintaining discipline among ANC MPs and acting against those who step out of line in Parliament.

SABC radio news said it had been reliably informed that the committee, which met on Wednesday, would make the recommendation to the ANC's national working committee, chaired by President Thabo Mbeki, on Monday.

Yengeni has previously declined requests from his colleagues in Parliament to step down or to take leave pending investigations into the arms deal and allegations that he may have received a luxury 4X4 as a bribe from a company with an interest in the procurement process.

Yengeni was granted R10 000 bail in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday following a warrant of arrest issued by the Scorpions unit. He is facing charges of corruption -- alternatively fraud -- forgery and statutory perjury arising from the probe into the arms deal.

Yengeni is the first politician to be arrested since the investigations began, nearly two years after PAC MP Patricia de Lille first made public allegations of corruption.

The arms deal, announced in September 1999 at a cost then of R30-billion, includes the purchase of corvettes, fighter jets, helicopters and submarines. However, with the rand continuing to lose its value the cost has already risen to R66-billion.

Yengeni faces a charge under the Corruption Act for receiving a R167 386 discount on his 4X4 vehicle from the head of the European Aeronautics Defence and Space company in South Africa, Michael Woerfel.

Woerfel -- Yengeni's co-accused -- is expected to appear in court in Pretoria on October 10 on charges of corruption and forgery. He is out of the country at present.

Yengeni is accused of receiving the vehicle "with the intention to use his power or exercise his influence to influence the arms acquisitions process" and for facilitating introductions. He was the chairman of Parliament's joint committee on defence at the time. Yengeni also faces an alternative charge of defrauding the company. He is also charged with statutory perjury in that on June 29 this year, he allegedly gave false evidence when summoned to appear before the Scorpions.

Meanwhile, Scorpions representative Sipho Ngwema confirmed on Thursday morning that Yengeni's charges flowed from the arms deal.

Defence Minister Joe Modise also taken in for questioning

He said Justice Minister Penuell Maduna's comment that it had nothing to do with the arms deal was made in the context that he did not believe Yengeni had influenced the eventual awarding of the arms contracts. Maduna was among the government spindoctors who moved quickly on Wednesday to try and salvage the integrity of the controversial arms procurement process, maintaining Yengeni's impending prosecution was not a sign that the deal itself was corrupt.

Beeld newspaper reported on Thursday that former Defence Minister Joe Modise was questioned by investigators on Tuesday. Ngwema said investigations were continuing and would not be drawn on whether there would be further arrests.

With acknowledgment to Sapa and the Mail & Guardian.