Serunye tells Madlanga Commission Andrea Johnson ‘lied’ over Crime Intelligence prosecutions

According to IOL, Advocate Peter Serunye, deputy head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), told the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday that his former boss, Advocate Andrea Johnson, “lied” when she denied that anyone in her office had raised concerns about the corruption prosecutions against Brigadier Dineo Mokwele and former Crime Intelligence chief financial officer Philani Lushaba.

Deputy IDAC head says emails contradicted Johnson

Serunye told the commission that his account was supported by multiple emails he had sent to Johnson in which he questioned the merits of the investigations and urged that concerns in both cases be considered before prosecutions proceeded.

“I raised, I think earlier we read one of my emails where I referred his queries to him. It was not only that one email, but there were two, maybe even three others that I referred to her, even with the Lushaba case,” Serunye testified.

Commission hears conflicting testimony

Serunye gave his evidence after commission co-chair Sesi Baloyi put Johnson’s testimony to him. Johnson had testified that she was unaware of internal objections to the prosecutions; Serunye rejected that account and told Baloyi that her evidence was not truthful.

The hearing adds to a series of contradictory accounts before the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating the handling of Crime Intelligence prosecutions that later collapsed. Serunye’s testimony echoes earlier evidence from former state advocate Drushantha Ramsamy, who also told the commission that Johnson’s claim was false and that concerns about the Mokwele and Lushaba matters had been raised from the outset.

Background on the Mokwele and Lushaba prosecutions

The commission record given to the court shows that Brigadier Dineo Mokwele had been accused of being unlawfully appointed without proper vetting or qualifications; subsequent inquiries confirmed that she possessed the required technical qualifications. Lushaba faced charges that included perjury, defeating the ends of justice and conspiracy relating to alleged irregular appointments.

Both Mokwele and Lushaba were arrested alongside Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo before those prosecutions came under intense scrutiny over alleged investigative flaws and missing referrals. The National Prosecuting Authority later withdrew all charges and reinstated the officers.

End of Serunye’s testimony

According to IOL, Serunye has completed his testimony at the commission.