Department of Defence acquisitions chief Shamin "Chippy" Shaik, has lodged an appeal against the outcome and sentence of a recent disciplinary hearing, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

Spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi said Shaik had been found guilty of illegally disclosing confidential information contained in the Auditor General's draf report on the controversial arms deal late last year.

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota suspended Shaik with full pay and banned him from setting foot in any military installation or headquarters on November 19.

"Mr Shaik... will not be allowed to enter any military installation, office or the headquarters of the Department of Defene, " Lekota told reporters in Pretoria at the time.

Shaik was also barred from having contact with officials dealing with arms procurement.

An Auditor-General's draft report, which was critical of Shaik's involvement in the arms deal, was handed to Lekota late last year. Lekota then instructed Joy Ratebe, his legal advisor, to give the report to Shaik for comment.

Shaik passed the report to his lawyers who took up the issue with Shauket Fakie, the Auditor-General. Shaik was then charged with misconduct for disclosing details of the report to his lawyers. He has now received a final written warning about his conduct as a sentence.

Mkhwanazi said the ministry received the sentence from, the hearing's chairman, provincial and local government director general Zam Titus on Sunday night.

It was handed to Shaik as well as Lekota on Monday.

Shaik lodged his notice of appeal against both the conviction and the sentence with the Defence Department on Wednesday in terms of the Labour Relations Act.

Mkhwanazi said Lekota was applying his mind to the matter to determine the next step.

Shaik's brother, Schabir, appeared in court on January 12 in connection with documents found at his home and offices.

He was arrested in November last year and charged with the theft of Cabinet documents, including minutes containing information on the arms deal.

Correspondence between the Public Enterprises and Defence departments were also found in his possession.

Shaik's arrest last November came a month after the Scorpions raided his home and the business premises of his black empowerment company Nkobi Holdings as part of its ivestigation into irregularities in the multi-billion rand arms deal.

The Nkobi group of companies own shares in Thales International, the company that will be providing systems for the navy's four new corvettes.

It is not known how the documents came into his possession.

Media reports have said "Chippy" Shaik was secretary at some of the meetings minuted.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.