Parliament's public accounts committee is to consider asking the Treasury to release the secret documents written by former finance official Roland White about the affordability of the controversial arms deal.

The documents allegedly warn about the cost of the arms package and the implications for South Africa.

Raenette Taljaard, the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on public accounts, said it was important that the committee had the same information as the investigators.

The committee's head, Gavin Woods, of the Inkatha Freedom Party, said the documents were material to the committee's fuller understanding of important aspects of the deal.

The secret documents were released to Public Protector Selby Baqwa for the purpose of questioning White last week. It is understood that the documents, written by White to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and director-general Maria Ramos, raise serious questions about the affordability of the package.

White, who is now a World Bank official, headed a finance work group on the arms deal and served on the team that assessed the affordability of it.

He conceded in his public testimony last week that the formulas to assess the possible cost escalation of the package were probably not sufficiently researched.

Cost estimates for the deal have risen from R30-billion in 1999 to R43-billion last year.

Taljaard said there were two documents that she would like to get her hands on.

"One is the document in which the Ministry of Finance raises reservations about the former minister of defence (Joe Modise) signing the submarine contract shortly before leaving office and before the affordability study was completed.

"The second one raised reservations about the affordability of Gripen aircraft and whether South Africa should buy the Gripens," she said.

Even the investigating team had difficulty obtaining the documents, she said.  

With acknowledgement to the Daily News and Independent Online.