President Thabo Mbeki emphatically denied that the Scorpions investigation into French arms company Thales was on the agenda for his discussions with President Jacques Chirac of France.

Mbeki arrives in Paris today for a three-day state visit aimed at boosting trade between the countries.

Addressing the media yesterday, he said: "Well it is not on my agenda."

He was asked whether the issue of a spate of bribery allegations against French companies in recent months would be discussed. "It is a matter that is dealt with by the legal authorities," Mbeki said.

"You would know that the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) here approached his counterpart in France in the context of the existing legal agreement between France and South Africa."

He said the judiciaries of both countries would deal with the matter. "I am certainly not part of the staff of the national directorate."

French media have speculated that the cloud of the Scorpions investigation of Deputy President Jacob Zuma and his financial adviser, Shabir Shaik, could hang over the visit.

But French sources have also insisted there is no evidence to implicate Zuma in soliciting a R500 000 bribe from Thales during the arms deal negotiations, following evidence in an encrypted fax that such a bribe had been solicited to protect the company from being investigated.

Proof of bribery, however, could lead to the cancellation of the contract secured by Thales to provide the combat suites for the four corvettes in the arms deal package.

With acknowledgements to Christelle Terreblanche and the Cape Times.