The arms deal saga has taken a new turn, with Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad admitting that he met Alain Thetard, the representative of the French Arms company Thomson CSF, now called Thales.

This is the first acknowledgment by a member of the presidency that there was a meeting with representatives of the French arms company.

At a book launch in parliament on Tuesday night, the Cape Times questioned Pahad on whether he or President Thabo Mbeki, who was the deputy president at the time, had met representatives of the French firm.

At first Pahad insisted that he had already responded to the allegations and that neither he nor the president had recollection of such meetings.

Later he said, "not in France", and when asked whether this meant he met with them elsewhere, Pahad said he could not remember.

Yesterday, after attempts by the Cape Times to get more clarity, Pahad issued a general statement saying that he had checked with his office and that he had, in fact, met Thetard on February 23, 1999. He did not provide further details.

According to an electronic copy of what appears to be Alain Thetard's diary, which is in the possession of the Cape Times, the meeting between Pahad and Thetard could have taken place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The time 11.30 is encircled and 'Essop Pahad. Union Building' is scrawled in the space next to it. At the top of the page the number 23 is printed in bold.

Earlier this year Pahad chided the DA's Eddie Trent for not accepting Mbeki's good faith and accused him of seeking publicity regardless of the true facts about the arms deal.

Trent has relentlessly sought answers in parliament about whether Mbeki met the French when he was still deputy president in December 1998 and whether this resulted in the company becoming the preferred bidder.

Yesterday Trent welcomed Pahad's admission, saying: "The pressure is starting to build and people are now realising that they have to tell the truth or be caught out."

With acknowledgements to Wendy Jasson Da Costa and Cape Times.