By Johnathan Paoli
State Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy has accused senior officials at the former Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) of attempting to pressure her into advancing what she described as a predetermined campaign against Crime Intelligence and the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Continuing her testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday, Ramsamy said former IDAC head Andrea Johnson and chief investigator Dylan Perumal expected her to follow instructions without questioning the direction of investigations.
“I believed I was expected to do as I was told while using my prosecutorial skills to advance a specific agenda,” she told the commission.
Ramsamy said Johnson and others had sought to “groom” her into becoming a prosecutor who simply carried out instructions, rather than independently assessing the merits of cases.
She testified that she became increasingly concerned about what she regarded as a coordinated effort to target Crime Intelligence officials while bypassing established prosecutorial safeguards.
Ramsamy recalled that Hawks Captain Mark McLean had warned her about a group within IDAC before Operation Diversion began, cautioning that Perumal’s Eastern Cape-based team could “ruin” her career if she was not careful.
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She said the warning reinforced concerns she later developed after observing what she believed were irregular investigative practices.
According to Ramsamy, she and investigator Mantsha Raphesu repeatedly objected to investigations they considered unlawful and submitted memoranda highlighting poor investigative practices and the alleged targeting of individuals.
She further claimed that when investigators later gained access to certain case dockets, they found documents that appeared to exonerate some accused persons and discovered that several matters enrolled under Perumal’s team since 2022 allegedly lacked the required authorisation.
Much of Ramsamy’s evidence centred on Operation Diversion, an investigation arising from Section 27 allegations submitted by National Coloured Congress leader and suspended Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams.
She told the commission that she travelled to Cape Town with Perumal and Raphesu on 6 January 2025 to consult Adams, during which supplementary affidavits were obtained and the investigation plan was discussed.
Ramsamy said those were the only affidavits Adams deposed to during that consultation.
However, she testified that concerns arose a week later when Perumal informed her that he had already interviewed a potential witness without notifying either her or Raphesu.
According to Ramsamy, Perumal said the witness, linked to allegations surrounding the procurement of a forklift using Crime Intelligence covert funds, had been flown to the Eastern Cape by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu specifically to meet him.
“It seemed strange to me that Minister Mchunu would be involved in this investigation,” Ramsamy said.
She testified that Perumal provided no explanation beyond saying the witness was relevant to the forklift procurement.
Ramsamy said she only later learnt that former Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Peter Jacobs had informed Raphesu they were expected to provide Mchunu with progress updates every 10 days regarding Adams’ complaints.
In her view, this suggested Mchunu’s involvement appeared to extend beyond simply receiving updates.
She also questioned why investigators who were not formally assigned to Operation Diversion participated in witness consultations.
Ramsamy testified that senior IDAC investigator Suneel Bellochun openly told her he had attended the consultation with the forklift witness and viewed video footage despite not being part of the authorised investigative team.
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She said she immediately raised the matter with Johnson, who told her she had not been aware Bellochun had attended the consultation.
According to Ramsamy, Perumal later asked her on two occasions to persuade Johnson to include his Eastern Cape investigators in the Operation Diversion team.
She further alleged Johnson instructed investigators to serve Crime Intelligence Brigadier Tom Moyane with a Section 28 notice so he could be “put through his paces”, adding that Johnson intended to conduct the interview herself.
Ramsamy also testified that Johnson instructed staff not to inform suspended National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola about an investigation into security clearances involving Crime Intelligence officials.
She said she believed there was a “marching line” aimed at ultimately placing both Masemola and suspended Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo “in the dock”.
The commission also heard that a January 2025 presentation by Perumal referred to Adams’ Section 27 referral, which included allegations relating to the forklift procurement, the PKTT and the Crime Intelligence Secret Service Account.
Ramsamy said the presentation corroborated both her own evidence and that of investigator Mantsha Raphesu regarding the contents of the original referral they had seen in December 2024.
Another issue raised during her testimony concerned Mchunu’s former chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde.
Ramsamy alleged that Johnson repeatedly sought information about Nkabinde after returning from a meeting with Mchunu, during which Johnson allegedly remarked that Nkabinde made her uncomfortable.
She testified that Johnson later instructed investigators to urgently compile information on Nkabinde because “the minister wants to clean up SAPS, Crime Intelligence specifically”, leading her to conclude that Johnson intended to build a case against him.
The commission continues.
