Parliament's watchdog public accounts committee has called for a super investigation into South Africa's controversial R30-billion arms deal, which will involve at least five independent agencies, including the Heath anti-corruption unit.

Within two weeks the committee will convene a meeting with Judge Willem Heath, Auditor-General Shauket Fakie, the Investigating Directorate of Serious Economic Offences, Public Protector Selby Baqwa and National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka.

"In noting the complex and cross-cutting nature of the areas to be investigated, the committee feels the investigation would be best served by combining a number of areas of investigative expertise and a number of differing areas of legal competence and authority," the committee said in a report to Parliament.

The report recommends a special forensic investigation involving all the different agencies.

Once the meetings had taken place, the committee would issue an "investigation brief" to the team for its input. 

The agencies - bar Ngcuka - have all launched separate probes into the deal. 

The committee would also continue its own investigation, which could well include a meeting with certain cabinet ministers, the report said. 

A second report would be issued early next year, followed by a final report to parliament, which would incorporate the report of the investigating body once it was complete. 

The deal, signed in late 1999, has been the subject of repeated corruption claims. 

Earlier this month, defence officials associated with the arms deal were grilled for seven hours by members of the committee about details of the package.

This followed Fakie's special report to parliament, released last month, which found that generally accepted procurement practices were not followed.

Fakie also recommended a special forensic audit into the deal's subcontracts, some of which have been the subject of corruption claims. 

Speaking to reporters after the MPs met behind closed doors, committee chairperson Dr Gavin Woods said: "There is sufficient reason to want certain matters investigation."

However, he declined to say whether there was any truth to specific allegations of corruption already in the public domain. 

Woods said he had the support of the individual agencies, which had indicated they would be willing to co-operate in such a co-ordinated fashion. 

Committee members said it was too early to say whether there were grounds for the cancellation of contracts because of corruption or improper transactions. 

The agreement between the South African government and the various prime contractors provide that the contracts can be cancelled on such grounds. - Sapa

With acknowledgement to Sapa and Independent Online.