The Democratic Alliance has appealed against the Department of Correctional Services' refusal to allow the party access to Tony Yengeni's parole or correctional supervision conditions.

DA spokesperson James Selfe said yesterday that under access-to-information laws, the department now had 10 working days to reply, either by granting the request or refusing it for a second time.

The party's original request was rejected last week.

"First and foremost the DA is appealing this decision because the department denied access to information which the DA did not request. The DA requested Yengeni's parole/correctional supervision conditions, and the department denied a request for Yengeni's sentencing," Selfe said.

Secondly, the request was easily granted, as the information resided in one file in Cape Town.

Selfe said the department's letter of refusal lacked information stipulated in the Promotion of Access to Information Act.

"This is a shocking omission, as the appeal documents are difficult to source, despite the insistence that they should be on every public body's website, and the process of appeal is not easy. In this manner too, the department is making access to information more difficult."

Yengeni, a former ANC chief whip, was convicted in 2003 of defrauding parliament by failing to disclose a 47% discount on a 4x4 Mercedes-Benz. He lost an appeal against his four-year sentence, but spent only a few months in Malmesbury Prison.

Allegations of preferential treatment have dogged Yengeni in and out of prison.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Star.