Parliament needs to be given extra powers to take action against lying officials, the chairperson of Scopa said on Wednesday.

Scopa, which decided last year to examine what further evidence has become available in the controversial arms deal, faced another delay on Wednesday.

An attempt to get the arms deal inquiry reopened is to be made in Wednesday's meeting of the standing committee on public accounts in Parliament.

The provincial auditor general never gave any assurance that over-expenditure on the security upgrading of Western Cape provincial minister of community safety Leonard Ramatlakane's residence did not constitute fraud and corruption, a committee heard on Thursday.