Cape Town – Senior Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) investigator Brian Padayachee has dismissed allegations of political interference in investigations involving Crime Intelligence, describing the claims as “baseless and devoid of merit”.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission, Padayachee said the investigation into Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo stemmed from a Section 27 referral made by Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams. He emphasised that decisions on whether to prosecute are made by prosecutors based on the available evidence, not by investigators.
“I deny these allegations. They are baseless and devoid of merit. IDAC has sufficient evidence to sustain the charges in the criminal cases against Lieutenant-General Khumalo and other officials at Crime Intelligence. This criminal case is currently pending before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court,” he said.
Padayachee maintained that there had been no political interference in the investigation.
Senior IDAC investigator Brian Padayachee denied allegations of political interference in investigations involving Crime Intelligence, describing them as “baseless and devoid of merit.”
He told the Commission that the investigation into Lt-Gen Khumalo originated from a Section… pic.twitter.com/PucjSy3I0v
— Ngada Attorneys (@attorneysngada) July 14, 2026
“There is no political interference, and I say so from my personal investigations into the matter. I’ve never received any calls or been placed under any undue pressure. These investigations cannot be influenced by investigators because they are prosecution-driven,” he told the commission.
He explained that complaints received through a Section 27 referral are first assessed by an intake committee to determine whether they fall within IDAC’s mandate. Once accepted, a multidisciplinary team comprising investigators, financial investigators and prosecutors is appointed to conduct the investigation.
According to Padayachee, prosecutors lead the legal process and ultimately decide who should be charged and what charges should be brought, based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
The commission also questioned Padayachee about WhatsApp messages exchanged with KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, noting that the conversations appeared cordial and neutral.
Commissioner Madlanga questioned Brian Padayachee on the relevance of WhatsApp messages exchanged with Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, saying they appeared neutral.
Padayachee said the chats showed they had a cordial working relationship before… pic.twitter.com/xUaxp61XOI
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) July 14, 2026
Padayachee said he submitted the messages to demonstrate that he and Mkhwanazi had maintained a professional working relationship before Mkhwanazi later implicated him in corruption allegations.
He told the commission that he had met Mkhwanazi on several occasions to discuss aspects of the Crime Intelligence investigation, including an affidavit relating to one of the suspects. During one of those meetings, he informed Mkhwanazi that Lieutenant-General Khumalo and other senior Crime Intelligence officials were expected to be arrested.
According to Padayachee, Mkhwanazi indicated that those implicated would have to face the consequences of the investigation, and there was no indication at the time of any disagreement between them.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
