Madlanga Commission | Adams challenges Section 27 referral as Hawks officer claims he was used as a pawn

National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and suspended member of Parliament (MP), Fadiel Adams, says his Section 27 referral to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) may have been altered and that his signature on the document could have been forged.

Adams made the claims while responding to questions at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Friday, as the commission continued to scrutinise the validity and purpose of the controversial referral.

He testified that some of the issues raised in the original referral appear to have been omitted from the document presented to the commission.

Although Adams conceded that his memory is not always reliable, he remained adamant that the referral before the commission is not the same document he submitted.

Adams also rejected claims that he acted on behalf of suspended Deputy Crime Intelligence boss, Major-General Feroz Khan.

The controversial referral triggered an investigation into several senior Crime Intelligence officials, including its head, General Dumisani Khumalo, Crime Intelligence CFO, Major-General Philani Lushaba, and Brigadier, Dineo Mokwele.

The three officials were charged with corruption and fraud relating to Mokwele’s appointment. The charges have since been withdrawn.

Adams, however, acknowledged that developments may have taken place behind the scenes without his knowledge during the course of the investigation.

Adams further said he believes his background as an activist and his long-standing commitment to exposing wrongdoing are among the reasons he was chosen to take on the Crime Intelligence matter.

While the commission has raised questions about whether his actions were politically motivated, Adams maintained that his decision was driven by concerns over challenges within law enforcement.

He said people trust him to speak out whenever they believe an injustice has been committed.

“I think I am easily the most outspoken and active person regarding fighting gang violence and rug abuse on the cape Flats easily by a mile and people know that this is passion and this is what I live for. I have been making noise in that police committee since day one. Somebody thought that I would take it to the media or to the SAPS but when I saw the confidential part I knew the media wasn’t an option. Someone probably put his money on me laying charges,” says Adams.

Adams also asked the commission not to play an audio recording of a conversation between himself and IDAC State Advocate, Drushantha Ramsamy.

He has threatened legal action against Ramsamy, saying he was shocked to learn that she had recorded their entire two-and-a-half-hour conversation without seeking or obtaining his permission.

‘I am actually asking the commission that after consulting with my attorneys last night we will be reporting Ms. Ramsamy to the LPC and also be laying criminal charges against her. The request from my side is that we don’t not play the recording because we will be asking for it lawfully and will be pursuing it,” Adams said.

Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Hawks officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan Govender, says he believes he was unfairly used by IPID Deputy Director for Investigations, Len John, in an alleged attempt to discredit KZN Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Govender was the second witness to take the stand before the commission on Friday.

The commission heard allegations that Govender was commissioned to kill tow-truck operator, Bevan Loftus, who was gunned down on 1 April 2023, and that he allegedly received kickbacks linked to the murder.

Financial investigators have flagged a R2.7-million money trail involving bank accounts belonging to Govender and his wife.

This includes almost R500,000 in cash allegedly paid to conveyancing attorneys towards the purchase of a property.

John previously told the commission that rival tow-truck operator Clive Naicker had allegedly placed a R2.5-million hit on Loftus’s life.

Govender, however, maintains that he is being used as a pawn in what he believes is a broader effort to undermine Mkhwanazi.

“At the outset, I wish to record that I feel that i am being unfairly targeted by Mr Len John of IPID and for ulterior purposes. For the reasons that I will appear herein after, it is my respectful view that I am being used as a pawn to discredit Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi, provincial commissioner of KZN. It is common knowledge that this commission was established pursuant to the allegations made by him” says Govender.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao