In a coded reference to reports that he was lobbied to negotiate a deal regarding Schabir Shaik's continued imprisonment, Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour has set the record straight and announced that "no backdoor" parole requests will be entertained.

Balfour was responding to member's statements in the National Assembly yesterday.

This was in response to the correctional services committee chairman Dennis Bloem, who said it was the prerogative and competency of parole boards - not Balfour - to consider and make recommendations on parole and correctional supervision.

The minister said it was only when parole boards had denied a request for parole that inmates could submit to him, in writing, valid reasons for a review of the parole board's decision.

In that instance, Balfour said he would be allowed to write to the Parole Review Board for a review of the decision.

However, the board's decision to uphold or overturn its earlier decision was final.

Balfour's response comes after reports that the family of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik had lobbied him in a bid to negotiate a deal regarding his imprisonment.

It is understood that the Shaik family sought to talk to the minister, who was reluctant to meet and instead referred them to the regional office in KwaZulu-Natal.

At the time, Shaik's brother and family spokesman Mo Shaik would not confirm or deny whether the family had requested the meeting.

Shaik was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for fraud and corruption.

He is serving his sentence in Westville Prison after spending more than two months in hospital.

It is understood that Balfour's clarification about his not having influence over parole board decisions was in response to Shaik's reported request for his intervention and another separate court case brought against the minister by a prisoner.

The prisoner, who exposed corruption in prison by filming it for the SAPS, claimed that the minister had promised him a two year remission of sentence.

With acknowledgement to Linda Daniels and Cape Argus.