The Madlanga Commission was dealt an unexpected setback on Monday after the head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s Anti-Corruption Directorate (IDAC), Advocate Andrea Johnson, was rushed to hospital just hours before she was due to testify.
Her legal team informed the commission that Johnson had been hospitalised and would not be taking the witness stand as scheduled. Senior evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello SC confirmed that the commission had received a medical certificate explaining Johnson’s absence.
Johnson was expected to face questions over allegations that she improperly handled a criminal complaint involving Deputy National Crime Intelligence head Major-General Feroz Khan.
Her testimony had been widely anticipated after evidence presented before the commission last week implicated her in allegedly interfering with sensitive investigations, including the criminal probe involving Khan. Her appearance was expected to shed further light on the operations of IDAC and its handling of high-profile corruption cases.
The allegations against Johnson form part of the Madlanga Commission’s far-reaching investigation into claims of corruption, political interference, abuse of power and governance failures within the South African Police Service, particularly the Crime Intelligence division.
