It is important for the office of the public protector to be transparent and to act promptly over high- profile corruption cases, irrespective of the political and economic connections of the personalities involved, the DA says.

The official opposition said yesterday it was concerned that the lack of transparency and urgency shown by the office of the Public Protector, Lawrence Mushwana, was not a good reflection and could harm South Africa's reputation abroad.

Eddie Trent, DA MP, said Mushwana had failed to respond to his party's written request last week for an update on the status of his investigation into allegations made in Germany that a company that bid for an arms contract had paid $3 million to a top South African figure associated with the arms deal.

It is alleged that the money was deposited into the bank account of a non-existent company in London.

The allegations have been reported in leading German magazine Der Spiegel.

The magazine has also said that prosecutors in Germany are investigating Dm30m in possible payments, disguised as expenses, made by the consortium awarded the contract to supply four frigates to the South African Navy.

Mushwana could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his spokesman, Charles Phahlane, said he was not aware of the DA's request to the Public Protector.

"This lack of transparency and progress in this regard does not reflect well and can only harm our reputation abroad," said Trent.

"It is a matter of the utmost importance that people accused of corruption, regardless of their personal and business connections, be fully investigated in a manner that is prompt, transparent and of which the public is kept fully informed at all stages.

"It is my sincere hope that Advocate Mushwana will use those resources available to him and fulfil the mandate of the public protector."

The arms deal was overseen by Chippy Shaik, who was then South Africa's chief of defence acquisitions.

A joint investigation by opposition parties, the Public Protector, the Auditor-General and the national Director of Public Prosecution has concluded that the arms deal was above board, yet allegations have continued to surface about improprieties in the negotiations process.

These have prompted the opposition parties in Parliament, including the DA, to call on the government to reopen the investigation into the arms deal.

But the Public Protector, the Auditor-General and the national Director of Public Prosecution decided at a meeting in Pretoria two months ago that they would each carry out separate investigations into the issue if they deemed this necessary.

Only former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni and Shaik's brother, Schabir Shaik, have been convicted on charges arising from dealings around the arms purchases.

With acknowledgements to Thokozani Mtshali and Cape Argus.