Cape Town - African National Congress Chief Whip Tony Yengeni has complied with Parliament's ethics committee's request to answer claims that he failed to disclose a luxury vehicle.  

He was also accused of failing to declare a residential property in the Register of Members' Interests. 

Yengeni had until 5pm on Thursday to respond to a third request from the committee, after originally questioning the committee's procedures and failing to meet the previous two deadlines. It is now understood that he submitted his response to the relevant officials on Wednesday morning.  

On Thursday, committee chairwoman Sister Bernard Ncube said Yengeni's response "will remain strictly embargoed" until Registrar of Members' Interests Fazela Mohamed had completed her "follow-up processes and procedures" as laid down by the committee's procedure for investigation.

This was done to give the process of the said procedures time to unfold within a reasonable space of time, she said. "In the interim, we are appealing to the media that while we fully acknowledge your right to the freedom of speech, we also say that there are obligations of acting with responsibility and not to suffocate or frustrate unduly the outcomes of the procedures by acting irresponsibly.  

"The members of the committee are not going to hear the content of these proceedings from the press, but from the registrar's report, which will be tabled in due course," Ncube said.  

Democratic Alliance Chief Whip Douglas Gibson lodged the official complaint with the committee on April 6, following newspaper claims that Yengeni had received a luxury vehicle as a "gift" from a company involved in the controversial R43-billion arms deal  

Yengeni has previously denied any wrongdoing, saying he acquired the Mercedes-Benz 4x4 vehicle legitimately. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.