The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota to begin a parallel probe into weekend allegations that Armscor, government's procurement agency, sold missile technology illegally to Chile.

Investigators and Armscor were cautious about commenting yesterday with Specialised Commercial Crime Unit head, Advocate Chris Jordaan, confirming the raid on Armscor last week.

It is not clear what Chile might have bought. Neither the Chilean embassy nor the National Conventional Arms Control Committee were available for comment.

If it was missile technology, as reported, its export would fall foul of the committee's export control regime, unless the relevant permits had been issued.

If the technology related to surface to surface missile systems or remotely or automatically piloted unmanned aerial vehicles, it could also bring the country into conflict with the Missile Technology Control Regime, which regulates international proliferation of the technology.

This could endanger current and future international defence co-operation with SA and might prompt the US to reimpose an arms embargo.

Jordaan confirmed computer software and documents belonging to Armscor and some officials at the agency had been seized.

However, he said the probe was at a delicate stage and releasing any more information could jeopardise the investigation.

Beeld, the Afrikaans daily newspaper, reported yesterday detectives had apparently seized cellphones and computers from the homes of several Armscor and defence force officials.

The raids, made on Tuesday last week, were a well-kept secret until Sunday, with only justice officials and top Armscor management in the know, the paper said.

The DA said yesterday the current investigation, along with recent reports of break-ins at arms maker Denel and its missile section Kentron showed all was not well in the SA defence industry.

The party said Lekota's investigation of the allegations should run concurrently with criminal investigations being conducted.

It said a departmental investigation would establish the facts relating to aspects not within the ambit of a criminal investigation.

With acknowledgements to Bonile Ngqiyaza, Sapa and Business Day.