The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has denied gagging suspended researcher Anthony Turton.

Briefing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, CSIR head Sibusiso Sibisi said the researcher was suspended because of comments he made to the media.

Turton was suspended last week after the CSIR stopped him delivering an address on South Africa's water quality at a conference.

Sibisi said the council noted Turton had extended an olive branch, and it was taken in good faith. However, the CSIR would not allow him to continue "distorting" statements to the media.

"If he persists in telling lies about us, we will not refrain from robustly telling the truth about him. We will continue making very clear what the facts are."

Sibisi said the CSIR would meet Turton to resolve the matter, possibly as soon as Thursday afternoon.
"However we shall not conduct such engagements in the media."

Sibisi said Turton's presentation was withdrawn because it was substantially different from the written paper that had been circulated previously.

The CSIR executive deemed the presentation unsuitable because of graphic pictures, and poor demonstration of links between cause and effect.

Turton was suspended last week.