Andrea Johnson, the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), testified before the parliamentary ad hoc committee that it was within their mandate to arrest Dumisani Khumalo, the head of crime intelligence.
Khumalo and six co-accused were arrested on June 28 on charges of fraud and corruption relating to irregular appointments.
All the accused are currently out on bail, and Khumalo is still pleading for terms of bail to be eased at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Johnson also told the committee that Khumalo’s arrest was an effort to disrupt investigations into criminal activity in Gauteng.
Evidence leader Norman Arendse SC questioned Johnson about the IDAC’s legality of arresting Khumalo.
He referred to KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Khumalo, saying that IDAC had, in this case, involved itself in labor matters, as he believed the matter should be handled by human resources.
Johnson indicated that IDAC’s mandate is to look into serious, high-profile, complex corruption matters; commercial or crime cases from commissions; and matters referred by the national director of common law, including fraud and theft, among others.
“If you just take the Khumalo matter, just stand-alone—of course the members will say, ‘what were you doing?’ That is a stand-alone matter.
“What is it doing in your mandate? It is our mandate in terms of there being corruption, and there’s an argument that it’s serious corruption.
“The manipulation and bypassing of processes, putting people in strategic appointments—isn’t that what got us where it got us in terms of state capture?” asked Johnson.
Four more cases investigated
Johnson also highlighted that the people allegedly involved in this matter hold high offices.
According to Johnson, there are four other cases under investigation in relation to crime intelligence, but due to the matters under investigation, she could not reveal the names of those involved.
She also revealed that her husband was part of crime intelligence in 2009 and joined the disbanded Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions), where he worked under Khumalo.
She emphasized that if her husband is also involved, her office will take action to protect its integrity.
Johnson further told the committee that she and her husband do not share details of their work.
“I wouldn’t ask him for information. Pillow talk gets people killed. That’s something we have never done, and it has always been that way,” said Johnson.
“Just to be clear, as I sit here, in all of the more than 20 years I have been married to him and in all the time he’s been at crime intelligence, I don’t know where his office is. It’s not my business. It sounds simple, and it is simple,” she added.
