Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Adv Andrea Johnson has formally requested to be released from her position immediately, telling President Cyril Ramaphosa and National Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Shamila Batohi that continued attacks against her have become a reputational liability for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In a letter to Batohi, with Ramaphosa copied, Johnson asked that her resignation be accepted without requiring her to serve the three-month notice period in her contract, saying she wished to leave office within 24 hours.
She said her decision was prompted by what she described as five months of relentless attacks directed at her both personally and professionally.
According to Johnson, much of the criticism stemmed from IDAC’s investigations and prosecutions involving members of Crime Intelligence.
“The recent five months or so have been challenging, and the attacks on both my person and official capacity have been unprecedented,” she wrote.
Johnson said the sustained criticism had not only affected her personally but had also cast a negative spotlight on both IDAC and the NPA.
“This in itself, let alone the attacks on me, does not sit well with me. I have given thirty years of service to an organisation I love dearly. I cannot be the reason that there is so much negative attention and reputational risk to IDAC and the NPA,” she wrote.
She noted that she is currently appearing before a commission of inquiry, where the allegations against her are, for the most part, linked to Crime Intelligence-related matters.
Johnson said any attempt to resolve the allegations through formal channels would likely require another commission of inquiry, which she argued would be both expensive and time-consuming.
“The allegations against me must still be proven, but that will again require the setting up of a commission and a process which are both costly and time-consuming,” she wrote.
She argued that South Africa was in no position to embark on another commission, particularly while the country remained under scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Johnson said the situation was even more concerning because IDAC plays a critical role in helping South Africa meet its FATF obligations.
“The country cannot afford another commission. SA is also under Financial Action Task Force (FATF) scrutiny, and all of this, given that IDAC plays a pivotal role in the output to FATF, is another consequence we cannot afford,” she wrote.
She also pointed out that there was no certainty about the outcome of any inquiry into her suitability to remain in office.
Johnson referred to the previous inquiry involving Johannesburg Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Andrew Chauke as an example of how such proceedings can unfold.
She further revealed that she had already submitted an application for retirement after reaching the age of 55 and nearing her 56th birthday.
However, Johnson said she was concerned that the manner of her departure could trigger legal challenges if not handled correctly.
“I do not want to draw either of your offices into any court challenges,” she wrote, adding that she wanted to leave office with “as minimal disruption as possible”.
Johnson said allowing her to step down immediately would ultimately be in the best interests of both the NPA and IDAC.
“The NPA and IDAC must and will always come first, and I believe that this resignation in the manner proposed would serve the institutions and the country best,” she wrote.
