African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni may still face an official investigation into how he acquired his luxury 4x4 vehicle if parliament's ethics committee agrees to a recommendation by the registrar of members' interests.

The committee was to meet on Wednesday to decide its response to the recommendation by registrar Fazela Mahomed that a probe be held.

Yengeni is accused of having failed to explain adequately how he acquired the vehicle.

In correspondence tabled at a committee meeting on Wednesday, Yengeni insisted he had bought the vehicle and that it had not been a gift, required by the rules of parliament to be declared in the register.

He had not explained how the vehicle had been acquired and funded

"Its acquisition does not in any way amount to a gift or a donation, and therefore there was no interest to be declared."

In response to an allegation that he had failed to disclose a property in Tijgerhof, Cape Town, Yengeni said he had declared the property in 1996 and did not understand why he was required to do so again.

Mahomed said the non-disclosure of the property had not been intended to mislead the committee but could be "construed as an omission".

She said Yengeni's response to the complaint about alleged non-disclosure of the vehicle was not enough to decide the facts because he had not explained how the vehicle had been acquired and funded.

Media reports had claimed that Yengeni, former head of the joint standing committee on defence, had acquired the vehicle from a company allegedly linked to the R43-billion arms deal, she said.

It was in the public interest for proceedings not to be held behind closed doors

The company, DaimlerChrysler, has said it had no involvement in the arms deal.

Mahomed recommended that the committee authorise an investigation to determine the facts.

Democratic Party chief whip Douglas Gibson, who lodged complaints regarding the vehicle and the house, said Yengeni was being evasive and defiant in his responses.

Yengeni complained that information had been leaked to the media, and queried the procedures being followed by the committee.

Gibson said Yengeni should be asked to produce documents proving he had acquired the 4x4 through a normal purchase.

A range of opposition MPs have called for Yengeni to be asked to appear before the committee to explain full details of how he came by the vehicle.

Earlier on Wednesday, a row erupted in the committee when its proceedings were closed to the public and press while members decided whether Mahomed's report touched on confidential information under rules of disclosure.

Opposition said it was in the public interest for proceedings not to be held behind closed doors.

With acknowledgment to Clive Sawyer and Independent Online.