Controversial testimony raises questions about IDAC's integrity

In her testimony before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee last week, Andrea Johnson, the head of the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), found herself grappling with claims of deceit after denying ongoing investigations against two of her top investigators, Suneel Bellochun and Brian Padayachee.

The testimony was presented with an air of confidence, but recent developments have cast doubt on her assertions.

Johnson categorically stated that there were no substantial investigations against Bellochun and Padayachee, citing the allegations as “frivolous” and lacking credibility.

“There are allegations made against him, but there have been no findings made against him. He’s not been charged,” Johnson confidently stated, dismissing the concerns raised by committee members.

However, her claims stand in stark contradiction to a letter from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate's (IPID) head of investigation, Hlengane Bila, which outlined ongoing investigations into torture allegations against Bellochun and his colleague Dylan Perumal.

The investigation stemmed from an incident involving a complainant, Lorrette Joubert, who alleged that she was assaulted during the execution of a search warrant in 2018 and subsequently subjected to torture.

She opened a case with at the Pretoria West police station.

The IPID’s spokesperson, Lizzy Suping, confirmed the agency's probe into Bellochun and Perumal, and assured that the investigation into Joubert’s torture complaint was at an “advanced stage.”

A source close to the IDAC revealed that both investigators may be evading justice due to protection received from Johnson’s operations chief, Matthew Sesoko.

However, Sesoko was kidnapped and assaulted last week, which heightened concerns over the safety and integrity of the IDAC’s personnel.

Some individuals who are familiar with the inner workings of IDAC alleged that the protection afforded to Bellochun and Padayachee not only undermined public trust but posed a significant threat to the legitimacy of the agency itself.

Joubert's account detailed how she suffered suicidal thoughts as a result of her traumatic experience with the two investigators, whom she accused of exploiting their law enforcement powers for intimidation and coercion.

She also wrote to the National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola about her ordeal at the hands of the IDAC investigators and raised the issue of abuse of power against both men.

“It has been two years since I laid a complaint with IPID, with no final resolution in sight,” she said.

Businessman Thoshan Panday also made allegations illegal wiretapping against Padayachee.

Panday claimed that Padayachee and his team allegedly conducted unlawful surveillance of his telephone activity for over a decade ago, which was  in violation of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act of 2002 (RICA).

“I have established that the Crime Intelligence Unit, KwaZulu-Natal, did the same thing in my case,” Panday said in asserting that investigators misled judicial authorities to gain interception permissions based on incorrect information.

Panday revealed that phone numbers linked to high-profile individuals, including former National Commissioner of the SAPS General Bheki Cele, were improperly included in applications aimed at securing monitoring orders against unrelated suspects.

DAILY NEWS