Anti-arms deal crusader Terry Crawford-Browne wants Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to pay him R25-million in punitive damages, saying Manuel's application for his sequestration was used to divert attention from the arms deal.

He has also petitioned Cape Judge President John Hlophe to consider charges against Manuel for fraud, perjury and abuse of powers of public office.

In June, Manuel applied for the sequestration of Crawford-Browne's estate on the grounds that he has failed to pay the state's R1-million legal costs bill.

The bill stems from litigation Ecaar SA - the organisation Crawford-Browne heads - had instituted in an attempt to halt the controversial arms deal and to expose alleged corruption in the arms acquisition process.

Crawford-Browne applied to court to have foreign loan agreements, which were to finance the arms deal, set aside and declared of no force and effect.

The application was dismissed with costs in March last year and leave to appeal was refused.

Ecaar then approached the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal against the judgment, but this too was refused.

In December 2004 the state's costs were calculated at just under R1-million. But Crawford-Browne has no assets and Manuel applied to sequestrate him.

Opposing the application, Crawford-Browne is seeking R25m in punitive damages from Manuel.

"Citizens such as myself who, at considerable financial and personal cost in furtherance of the public interest and the goals of the constitution, should not be punished nor intimidated for their actions in exposing malpractices," he added.

Ordering Manuel to pay damages would confirm that conduct inconsistent with the constitution was invalid.

Crawford-Browne also wants a ruling that the costs order against him be nullified, saying it was granted against him in a public interest matter of major importance.

Crawford-Browne's third request was that Manuel should reimburse his legal, media and other expenses of about R5-million.

In a previous document filed at the Cape High Court, he referred to alleged outbursts by Manuel, including statements he had made in the National Assembly that member of parliament Patricia De Lille was a "useful idiot in the hands of those who failed in their bid to secure (arms deal) contracts".

With acknowledgements to Fatima Schroeder and the Cape Times.