Leaders of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee have been accused of arrogance, disrespect and unlawful behaviour after they rejected repeat invitations by Parliament to explain the Caster Semenya debacle.

Furious members of the committee on sport and recreation agreed unanimously that formal summons in terms of Section 56 of the Constitution - which stipulates that any institution may be called by a parliamentary portfolio - will now be sent to the Speaker of Parliament to subpoena Sascoc.

Butana Komphela, chairman of the committee on sports and recreation, said two letters had been sent to Sascoc over the past month, asking it to report on the investigation into Athletics South Africa over Semenya.

"Sascoc wrote us a letter that said they will not come.

'They said 'we will not come to Parliament because we have spoken to our minister [of sport and recreation, Makhenkesi Stofile]'," said Komphela.

Semenya, who won a gold medal in the 800m at the world athletics championships in Berlin, Germany, last year, could not compete for 11 months due to a row over her gender that sparked domestic and international outrage.

Since having her status cleared earlier this year, the athlete has won three gold medals.

Following initial investigations and a forensic audit, ASA president Leonard Chuene and eight board members and other officials were suspended by Sascoc over the matter.

Last month The Times reported that Sascoc was ready to lay criminal charges against "certain individuals" as a result of the two reports, which detailed "poor corporate governance, the alleged misappropriation of funds and tax evasion at Athletics South Africa".

But the letter rejecting Parliament's invitation, which Komphela read to the committee, stated that Sascoc was "unable to discuss the investigation of Athletics South Africa as this matter is presently the subject of inquiry and we cannot divulge the initial investigation report, nor the forensic audit report. We trust you understand our predicament."

The committee, however, did not understand.

"This is not a matter of how secret and how discreet is the matter that Sascoc is going to discuss with us. It is a matter of Sascoc respecting this institution.

"Sascoc has no right to determine for us that the matter is so secretive that they will not come," said Komphela.

Anthea Gordon, an advocate in Parliament's legal advisory services, told the committee that she agreed "wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed, especially from a legal perspective".

The meeting was attended by Stofile and his deputy, Gert Oosthuizen.

Stofile stressed that he was not a "spokesperson" for Sascoc, but said that he was "more than willing" to give the committee a briefing on the Semenya report.

Stofile said he could not go into the "nitty-gritties and details of the scientific operations that were carried out", but said he got the "shock of his life" when Chuene admitted he had lied about Semenya.

Stofile said the report of the initial investigation by ASA's legal commission stated that "Mr Chuene defied all legal and medical advice on August 17, in Berlin".

Stofile also quoted the report as arguing that Dr Harold Adams, the accredited team doctor, gave advice that Semenya must be withdrawn.

"Again, they found that Chuene ignored that professional advice and went ahead.

"And as such, they accused him of being guilty of gross misconduct as well as bringing the ASA, the sport of athletics and Sascoc into disrepute," said Stofile.

Mgolodi Dikgacwi, an ANC MP who is a member of the committee, claimed the result of Semenya's case "vindicates Chuene".

"It is clear from the report of the minister that all these people who were advising Chuene to withdraw this person from participating, that advice was absolutely wrong.

"If she was withdrawn, we would not today have a world champion of the 800m," said Dikgacwi.