The Office of the Inspector General of Intelligence (OIGI) has dismissed calls for a probe into the so-called Mbekigate tapes because it has no proof that these indeed exist. "Allegations of the interception and monitoring of the communications of senior officials apparently discussing the Zuma case have not been confirmed and no evidence of these allegations have been made available to the office of the Inspector General," OIGI chief director Imtiaz Fazel said on Monday.

The Democratic Alliance last week urged the OIGI to probe reports that in his bid to have corruption charges against him dropped, ANC leader Jacob Zuma confronted the National Prosecuting Authority with tapes of phone conversations of senior officials discussing the case in a manner that suggested political interference.

ccording to newspaper reports, the tapes include a statement by former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy that suggest former president Thabo Mbeki influenced the decision to prosecute his political rival.

The DA said it would be "an outrageous state of affairs" if the intelligence community had taped the phone conversations of a sitting president. It demanded an urgent investigation. The OIGI said it would continue to monitor the issue and institute a probe if there were a reason for one.

The NPA has not confirmed the existence of the tapes. It is widely expected to drop charges against Zuma this week in a move that would smooth his path to becoming president after the April elections.

With acknowledgements to Sapa.