The Democratic Alliance has accused a parliamentary committee of trying to protect the trade and industry department by voting to keep secret a report about the arms deal.
DA federal chairperson, Wilmot James, says the decision is an attempt by the portfolio committee on trade and industry to protect the department from real accountability on an issue of "monumental public interest".
He says the department of trade and industry has consistently avoided answering questions about how much has actually been invested as part of the National Industrial Participation Programme and why there is such a significant discrepancy between the reported size of investments and actual investments.
Details of the investments are contained in a leaked forensic report tabled by DA MP David Maynier at a portfolio committee meeting in February.
The Department of Trade and Industry is scheduled to appear before the committee on the 16th of March.
