Madlanga Commission to recall former IDAC head following serious allegations
Former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) boss Andrea Johnson’s exit from the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday has been cut short.
The commission has decided to issue the former IDAC head with a Rule 3 notice and recall her.
Thursday’s hearings resumed with Advocate Drushanta Ramsamy taking the witness stand.
The IDAC state advocate was part of the team that interviewed Member of Parliament (MP) Fadiel Adams.
During that interview, she was accompanied by investigator Mantsha Raphesu and chief investigator Dylan Perumal.
After being sworn in, Ramsamy began giving evidence before the commission.
During her testimony, Ramsamy alleged that IDAC’s Operations Manual, Version 2, signed by Johnson on 16 October 2024, set out the directorate’s procedures, team structures, and reporting lines.
She described it as the “Bible” for how IDAC should operate.
Ramsamy alleged that Johnson routinely deviated from the manual and that those deviations originated from Johnson’s office.
She further claimed Johnson was known as “Flip-Flop Knee Jerk” because instructions would change throughout the day.
According to Ramsamy, decisions based on legal principles would often change after Johnson spoke to Dylan Perumal.
Ramsamy told the commission this created an environment where procedures were routinely ignored and investigations were affected.
She told the commission that she joined IDAC in March 2023.Ramsamy said that, given the extensive nature of her evidence, she will deliver two statements.
Ramsamy explained that her first statement will deal with her consultation with Adams in January 2025.
She told the Madlanga Commission that Johnson told many untruths during her testimony about Ramsamy’s involvement in the Mokwele matter.
Ramsamy said she raised several concerns about the Mokwele case from the outset and continued to raise them on several occasions thereafter.
She said her concerns did not stop with the Mokwele matter alone.
Ramsamy said that after Johnson signed off on authorising the investigations into Crime Intelligence officials, Johnson decided that all Crime Intelligence matters would be ring-fenced under what she named “Project Diversion.”Ramsamy said Johnson routinely deviated from established rules and that this was accompanied by intimidation.
She said IDAC officials had given Johnson the nickname “Flip-Flop Knee Jerk.”Ramsamy further alleges that Johnson is a different person when Dylan Perumal is not involved in matters.
She claims Johnson always listens to Perumal.Ramsamy said that if anyone defied Johnson’s instructions, there were consequences.
Ramsamy told the commission that Andrea Johnson is the “blue-eyed girl” of former National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi, who, according to Ramsamy, can do no wrong in Batohi’s eyes.
