National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele should resign if a Special Investigating Unit probe finds he lied about R700-million in dodgy lease tenders.

The DA said yesterday it would have no option but to ask for his resignation if he misled Parliament's police portfolio committee on Friday. Cele is embroiled in a scandal involving the rental of buildings in Pretoria and Durban.

The DA's Dianne Kohler Barnard said Cele, when asked about the tenders, tried to shift the blame to three generals who had resigned. He told MPs Stefanus Terblanche, Matthews Siwundla and Hamilton Hlela resigned suddenly after he asked the SIU to probe billions in suspect deals approved by their supply chain unit since 2006.

The Sunday Times reported yesterday that at least two of the generals claimed they were forced out for refusing to sign off on deals for unnecessary, pricey offices.

Kohler Barnard said the three generals should have been suspended, not paid "golden handshakes out of the public purse".

She said there were at least two versions of how the probe was ordered. The Department of Public Works claimed it, not Cele, asked the SIU to investigate dodgy SAPS property deals. Kohler Barnard said she would submit questions to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa today.