Maharaj on Sunday said the Sunday Times, despite publishing an extensive report over two pages, had not found the space to publish his three-sentence emailed response to the paper in full.

Instead, it had selected parts of his response for publication, and this had consciously limited the public's awareness of what he had said.

"The fact that the Scorpions did not bring any charges against either of us should make you alive to the fact that the reported insinuations and allegations of unlawful conduct by us implied in your questions may once again result in, and subject us to character assassination and trial by media consciously making use of selective information only," Maharaj replied to the Sunday Times.

"These issues belong to matters that were investigated by the Scorpions. Neither Zarina Maharaj nor I are prepared to subject ourselves to a separate and additional investigation by a member of the media based on isolated aspects of a comprehensive investigation conducted by institutions established and empowered by law to do so," he stated.

The Democratic Alliance has since called on President Jacob Zuma to suspend Maharaj without delay.

Stuart Farrow, the DA's spokesman on transport, said he would ask the Public Protector to investigate the allegations.