ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema is leading the public up the garden path.

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema is leading the public up the garden path.

Yesterday he insisted that he had instructed his lawyer Tumi Mokwena in 2008 to deregister him as a director from all his business interests.

He also told 702 Talk radio host Redi Direko that he had documents to prove that he was deregistered from the companies.

But documents Sowetan received from Cipro show he is still a director of SGL Engineering Projects, with his partner Lesiba Gwangwa.

The company - which has reportedly been awarded government tenders worth more than R140million - was registered last May.

When confronted with the information Malema said he had instructed Mokwena to investigate how he was still listed as a director of SGL "because he does not recall being registered as director".

Cipro also revealed that Malema was a director of Blue Nightingale Trading 61 (Pty) Ltd registered in 2004; Ever Roaring Investment (Pty) Ltd registered in 2005 and 101 Junjus Trading CC.

Cipro said the three companies are currently in the process of being deregistered "because of non-compliance with tax returns".

During an interview with Radio 702 Malema insisted he had not broken any law and if anyone had evidence to the contrary he should report the matter to the police.

He said allegations that he had used his political influence to benefit from government tenders were "fabrications by individuals who held different political views".

He again blamed former Limpopo premier Sello Moloto for the latest uproar, describing him as his political enemy.