Crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo’s appointment was found to be regular by the Public Service Commission more than a year before the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) dealt with the matter. The report of the Public Service Commission, an oversight body for government, was displayed at the Madlanga commission of inquiry during the cross-examination of outgoing Idac head advocate Andrea Johnson on Tuesday. Read: ‘Fabricated’ evidence and dropped charges: Idac’s corruption probe collapsesJohnson faced questions about why the directorate in 2025 continued to probe the Khumalo matter when the August 2023 report by the Public Service Commission (PSC) had cleared suspicions of irregularity regarding his appointment.Scrutiny of the directorate’s investigations comes from National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams’s complaint listing a string of suspicions against crime intelligence management. Adams alleged that former minister Bheki Cele was involved in appointing Khumalo without an interview process, deviating from the normal procedure when there were other generals suitable for the position. He also said he suspected some of the funds taken unlawfully from crime intelligence’s secret funds account were being given to Cele. The complaint was filed in November 2024, more than a year after the PSC’s report on the matter relating to Khumalo’s appointment. According to the Madlanga inquiry, the report would have been available to the directorate in April 2025, but Masemola continued to look into the matter. Johnson said that if Idac investigators had received the PSC report but had failed to bring it to her attention, they had acted irresponsibly. The report was so conclusive, she argued, that it left no basis for any further investigation.The Madlanga commission is probing allegations that the directorate acted outside its mandate and used its power to target top cops, including Khumalo, national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.Johnson, during cross-examination, made the big concession that, given the information before the Madlanga inquiry, a conclusion could be drawn that the directorate acted outside its mandate in some of its investigations regarding Khumalo. The concession from Johnson is significant, as it is a response to the main allegation before the Madlanga inquiry against the directorate, namely that it acted outside its mandate. National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams was granted R10,000 bail at the magistrate's court in Pinetown on May 15 2026. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu (Sandile Ndlovu) Johnson was also quizzed why, in her summons to Masemola, she wanted documents relating to the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team (PKTT) while in her testimony she said the directorate was not investigating any matters regarding the task team.The summons required the police to supply original documentary files and applications for promotions of the commanders and members of the task team through deviation. Johnson struggled to explain why she sought documents relating to the task team without an investigation in place and what constituted the legality of such a request. Commissioner Sandile Khumalo put it to Johnson that it seems there was a “hidden hand” that was influencing the investigations, considering the request for the task team promotion documents while no investigation was conducted. “It looks like there was a hidden hand driving Idac investigations. This [PKTT] is not Adams’ complaint. Where do all these things come from? Who was driving this because it’s clearly not Adams’ hand. I could be wrong. What does it look like to you?” Khumalo asked. Johnson said she had no explanation for why the task team was part of the summons she signed and that an answer could be contained in a briefing she conducted with chief investigator Dylan Perumal. Read: ‘Unprecedented attacks’: Andrea Johnson asks to resign from Idac immediately“I do not have an explanation for you, chair. I do not want to frustrate you,” Johnson said. The directorate faces allegations that it actively participated in a “well co-ordinated attack against” Khumalo. Mkhwanazi in his testimony said the investigation against Khumalo was a move to delay organised crime investigations. Johnson denied the directorate’s investigations were aimed at delaying the investigations. She, however, accepted that as the matter against Khumalo fell outside the directorate’s mandate, it is reasonable that it could be seen that the directorate targeted Khumalo. Johnson has publicly apologised for describing crime intelligence official Brig Dineo Mokwele as an “unqualified civilian” before the Madlanga commission.She previously conceded that the anchoring accusation, in a corruption case against Khumalo, of Mokwele not being qualified for an engineering-related position, was incorrect. Amid the concessions, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head advocate Andy Mothibi has withdrawn the prosecution of Khumalo in the Mokwele case. It was Idac’s only case before court; all other matters were still under investigation. Johnson will continue to testify on Wednesday.Business Day