Madlanga Commission has heard claims that IDAC head Andrea Johnson shared the contents of an assault complaint lodged against Crime Intel. deputy head, Feroz Khan, with him before he was questioned, allegedly compromising the probe by allowing him to prepare his version of events.
The allegations emerged during testimony from retired Hawks Colonel Kobus Roelofse, who told the commission that concerns were raised over how the assault complaint against Khan was handled while Johnson was serving as a senior prosecutor.
Roelofse testified that the complaint stemmed from a 2018 allegation made by a colonel who worked in the same office as Khan.
According to the complaint, Johnson received a written assault complaint from former journalist Barry Bateman before allegedly sharing its contents with Khan.
Roelofse said he regarded the claims as serious enough to warrant an independent investigation and approached then-Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya, asking that then-National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi appoint a senior prosecutor to investigate the alleged interference.
However, Roelofse told the commission that Johnson later requested a meeting with him and identified the colonel who had made the protected disclosure.
“Adv Johnson told me the name of the colonel. I found it extremely concerning that Adv Batohi would have told Adv Johnson about a protected disclosure implicating her, Adv Johnson, in wrongdoing,” he testified.
According to Roelofse, the assault case against Khan was later closed, while the complaint alleging interference by Johnson was never resolved.
Meanwhile, Captain Mark McLean, from the Hawks, testified about allegations that Khan used a pen to poke Crime Intelligence Brigadier Leonora Phetlhe during an altercation, causing multiple injuries.
An audio recording played before the commission captured a tense exchange between the two.
After Phetlhe addressed him as “Khan”, he responded: “I’m General Khan to you. I’m not your friend.”
He then asked: “Have I ever called you Phetlhe? I always address you as brigadier.”
The recording ends with Khan allegedly telling the brigadier that “a pen is very powerful” before the alleged assault, which has become one of the incidents under scrutiny before the commission.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
