The three agencies that conducted a joint investigation into the multibillion-rand arms deal are to meet again on March 12 to decide if they need to investigate new claims of corruption, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday.

The Public Protector, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Auditor General previously found no instances of wrongdoing.

However, German and British publications have recently reported on probes into alleged arms-deal corruption involving South African officials.

The Democratic Alliance asked the Public Protector to investigate the reported allegations that former chief of acquisitions for the arms deal, Chippy Shaik, received a $3-million bribe from German arms manufacturer Thyssen Krupp.

After discussing the issue with the NPA, Public Prosecutor Lawrence Mushwana told the SABC that the intention of the meeting was to ascertain, in light of the new information, where to take the matter.

"... we are busy with a preliminary investigation to check exactly what type of information for instance is the law enforcement in Britain having and also the law enforcement in Germany so that we compare," he said.

"... as you know the allegation is that there has been exchange of money so we want to see whether Chippy Shaik has anything to with what the British are investigating".

Claims of corruption At the beginning of February, Germany's online newspaper Spiegel reported that Shaik had allegedly requested the money in 1998. The company apparently deposited the money into a London bank account in 2000.

The allegations contained in the newspaper's article was part of the evidence that Independent Democratic (ID) Leader Patricia De Lille showed to reporters on her arrival from Germany and the United Kingdom on February 4.

De Lille said she now had proof that the arms deal was riddled with corruption.

Judge Willem Heath, who accompanied De Lille, said some of the directors of German companies who were involved in the arms deals have already acknowledged their guilt.

"The Germany NPA also informed us that the MD of Daimler Aerospace escaped prosecution for corruption because at the time of the bribe payments, he could not be prosecuted on this charge in terms of Germany law ... Even so, he paid an acknowledgement of guilt [fine] to the tune of 15 000 Deutsch mark for embezzlement."

Until 1998 it was not illegal for German companies to pay bribes.

Heath said the fact that the Daimler Aerospace MD had acknowledged guilt was confirmation that he supplied luxury vehicles at heavily discounted prices to 30 South Africans, including fraud convict Tony Yengeni.

"Because the ultimate responsibility for the South African arms deal rests with President Thabo Mbeki, who as deputy president presided over the Cabinet committee responsible for the arms acquisition process, we must ask ourselves: What does he have to hide?" asked De Lille.

With acknowledgement to Sapa and Mail & Guardian.