Cape Town — An attempt by one of the Travelgate accused to link the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) director Vusi Pikoli to the case was stopped abruptly yesterday by Cape Judge President John Hlophe who said his court was not to be used to have the charges against the accused relaxed.

Hlophe reacted to Adv Andre Parries, representing travel agent Estelle Aggujaro, who had argued that just as police commissioner Jackie Selebi's case was being reviewed following Pikoli's suspension, so too should the Travelgate case against four travel agents. Pikoli's replacement, acting director Mokotedi Mpshe, is reviewing the investigation into Selebi's alleged links to underworld figures.

Parries said the Travelgate case -- in which MPs implicated allegedly used their travel vouchers fraudulently by exchanging them for benefits and services other than flights, including car rentals, hotel accommodation and cash -- had involved 200 MPs, some of whom had been convicted after entering into plea bargain agreements with the NPA while others had settled with liquidators out of court.

He said that as in the Selebi case, where there were suggestions that there was a threat to state security, it was so in the Travelgate case because it reflected on the integrity of Parliament and the respect the citizens of the country should have in Parliament, "which in turn threatens the stability of our country".

Parries had started his argument during a hearing to establish progress on the case involving four travel agents, Soraya Beukes, Mpho Lebelo, Aggujaro and Graham Geduld.

They are the remaining accused in the case that has already dragged on since February 2005 when the accused, 34 MPs and former MPs, were charged with fraud and theft, in which Parliament is said to have lost R24m.

Hlophe interrupted Parries soon after he requested that the Travelgate case against the four travel agents also come under spotlight by the NPA.

"If you want to take it up with the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP), by all means, but not in this court.

"It is for the DPP, if they so choose, to withdraw charges prepared against your client but I will not allow the use of my court for these purposes," said Hlophe.