Former President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday he never interfered in the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) case against former deputy president Jacob Zuma.

His comments followed media reports alleging that Zuma's legal team had submitted evidence, in the form of copies of taped phone conversations, which indicated political interference by Mbeki in Zuma's case.

"Mr Mbeki has, over the years disputed these claims and wishes to emphasise that at no stage did he interfere or contemplate interfering in Mr Zuma's case," Mbeki's office said in a statement.

"Former President Mbeki wishes to invite anyone who has such evidence to hand it over to the law enforcement agencies so that legal remedies are sought by any party that believes that it may have been unduly compromised."

Earlier on Thursday, neither the NPA, nor African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma's lawyer would be drawn on the reports that the tape recordings had been submitted as part of Zuma's bid to have the charges against him dropped.

Both said the details of the representations made on Zuma's behalf were confidential.

In addition, Zuma's lawyer Michael Hulley said this was the third
unsourced report relating to Zuma's representations and because it had no source "I won't even dignify it with a response".

Hulley added: "I would also like to say that it is a criminal offence for the NPA to leak information."

NPA spokesman Tlali Tlali said: "It would be most unfortunate if what we are dealing with here is a leak."

"I only hope we are dealing with speculation," said Tlali.

He said there was no departure from the NPA position that the representations be handled in confidence.

Only once it had made a decision to go ahead with prosecuting Zuma or not, would it make an announcement, he said.

The media reports said Zuma's legal team was in possession of phone conversations, allegedly tapped by state intelligence agencies, between Mbeki and former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy.

Former NPA head Bulelani Ngcuka told The Times newspaper this.

Meanwhile, Business Day said the conversations recorded included several prominent players in the Zuma saga, which involves corruption charges related to the multi-billion dollar government arms deal.

Others whose conversations were recorded included Ngcuka, and businessmen Saki Macozoma and Mzi Khumalo, said Business Day.

The content of the tapes was not known.

The latest news came amid rumours that the NPA had been presented with new evidence by Zuma's lawyers that might see fraud and corruption charges dropped against him, clearing the way for him to become South Africa's next president without the charges hanging over his head.