Former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), head Advocate Andrea Johnson allegedly ordered investigators to hunt for links between alleged underworld tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola’s daughter through the electronic devices in a bid to remove the chief from office.
This is despite prosecutors finding no prima facie evidence connecting the family to Matlala’s case.
IDAC prosecutor Drushantha Ramsamy made the allegation while testifying before the Madlanga Commission, saying investigators were specifically directed to look for communications or associations between Matlala and Masemola’s daughter.
“Johnson said that the snap-searched analysis on Matlala’s devices should look for links with General Masemola’s daughter,” Ramsamy testified.
She said the instruction formed part of a broader investigation involving Masemola and Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo.
This was meant to link Masemola to Matlala’s controversial R360 million contract from SAPS.
According to Ramsamy, Johnson ordered a “snapshot analysis” of Matlala’s electronic devices. The investigators leading the Crime Intelligence probes included Dylan Perumal and Brian Padayachee.
Ramsamy also said Johnson instructed the team to establish whether Matlala’s devices contained links to Advocate Andrew Chauke after she received a formal referral from former National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi.
But prosecutors had already assessed the evidence and concluded there was no prima facie case or factual link between Masemola, his family and Matlala’s Medicare24 tender matter, Ramsamy said.
“We discussed the evidence and agreed that there was no prima facie case against the Generals,” she testified.
Ramsamy said she and another prosecutor became concerned that “something was amiss” involving Johnson and investigators Perumal, Bellochun and Padayachee. They decided to prepare a prosecutorial memorandum setting out their assessment of the evidence.
She told the commission the investigation appeared aimed at finding a way to remove Masemola and Khumalo from their positions, describing the atmosphere under Johnson as “toxic”.
Ramsamy further alleged that rules were being broken to “catch Masemola by any means possible”.
The commission has separately heard that Johnson’s strategy allegedly involved withholding information from Masemola, potentially causing him to give false evidence to Parliament and creating grounds for a perjury charge.
Johnson has defended her decision to charge Masemola with alleged Public Finance Management Act violations and previously denied acting maliciously or deliberately seeking to embarrass or wrongfully taint the police commissioner.
The commission has also heard testimony about an alleged “Project Diversion” targeting Crime Intelligence.
