Three IDAC investigators suspended as South Africa launches sweeping anti-graft reset
PRETORIA — South Africa’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has suspended three senior investigators as Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi pushes t...
PRETORIA — South Africa’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has suspended three senior investigators as Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi pushes through a wider cleanup of the embattled unit. The action against Dylan Perumal, Suneel Bellochun and Brian Padayachee comes as the directorate faces a leadership vacuum and a six-month reset aimed at restoring trust.
Kubayi confirmed the suspensions at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, saying the department wanted to give clarity on developments at IDAC and keep the directorate stable while it deals with the vacancy at the top. Quietly, the pressure has been building. Fast.
Allegations at the centre
Perumal faces allegations of falsifying witness statements. Bellochun has been accused of extorting a Pakistani businessman in the Eastern Cape. Padayachee is accused of leaking an active criminal docket to senior Crime Intelligence officer Major-General Feroz Khan.
The suspensions form part of a broader intervention ordered by Kubayi and National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi. The reset will run for six months and includes a full audit of IDAC cases, a review of financial management, and checks on human resources across the unit.
Staff audits and case reviews
Kubayi said all 146 IDAC staff members will undergo lifestyle audits. The Human Resources branch has also been told to compare job profiles with the qualifications and experience of employees currently holding those posts. That assessment is expected to be done by 14 August.
The cleanup does not stop at personnel. Cases already on the court roll will also be reviewed to make sure the charges are correct. That matters. A bad charge can sink a case before it even starts.
A search for new leadership
The justice ministry is also looking outside IDAC for someone to lead the directorate temporarily. Kubayi said she had requested vetting and wanted to avoid rushing into an appointment that could come back to haunt the institution later.
She said she was uncomfortable appointing any of former IDAC head Andrea Johnson’s deputies to the acting role, and indicated that the option of drawing from within the National Prosecuting Authority remains open under the rules. Johnson resigned last week after intense scrutiny on the organisation and her leadership.
The shake-up lands while the Madlanga Commission continues to hear evidence about alleged overreach inside the anti-corruption unit and wider concerns around senior officials. Kubayi’s message was blunt: the department wants stability, but only after the vetting, audits and disciplinary steps are done. “I have requested vetting,” she said, “just to make sure that everything is not going to come back.”
