Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has fired a fresh broadside at arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne, seeking to have him declared a vexatious litigant.

Crawford-Browne is a former banker who has long been engaged in a running battle with Manuel over the multi-billion rand arms deal.

He is now fighting a Cape High Court attempt by Manuel to permanently gag him from accusing the minister of corruption related to the deal.

Crawford-Browne said yesterday that last week Manuel filed a semi-urgent application that he be declared a vexatious litigant.

He said Manuel wanted the defamation action against him stayed pending the outcome of this new application, which is to be argued tomorrow.

Being declared a vexatious litigant means a person has to get a judge's permission before initiating any civil proceedings in the high court.

Earlier this month, Crawford-Browne lost a court battle to force Manuel to hand over arms deal documents.

He also tried unsuccessfully in 2003 to have the entire arms deal overturned on the basis that it was strategically, economically and financially irrational, and therefore unconstitutional. - Sapa

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Cape Times.