A senior officer in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been sentenced in a civil court after admitting that he contravened the Protection of Information Act.

Captain Bradley Langford Morris, 62, who had been in defence intelligence in the SA Navy, recently entered into a plea agreement after an intensive investigation by the SANDF, said spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini on Thursday.

He was fined and sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for five years. He was also ordered to pay the legal costs of the State.

Dlamini said Morris disclosed in his plea agreement "that he illegally supplied sensitive and classified information to foreign intelligence services, certain journalists and members from the defence related industry".

The Military Command Council welcomed the sentence and said anyone who behaved in such a manner would be subjected to the full might of the law, "regardless of rank position and/or level".

"The Military Command Council would like to emphasise that no official in the employ of the Department of Defence may release or disclose any classified Defence Community related information to the public, any institution or organisation, including media without authority," said Dlamini.