Johnson was a senior prosecutor with the NPA at the time.
Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) head Andrea Johnson at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town on 6 November 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
A former Hawks colonel has told the Madlanga commission that Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) head Andrea Johnson’s alleged interference compromised a criminal investigation involving senior Crime Intelligence official Feroz Khan.
Kobus Roelofse, who previously served as a senior investigator within the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), delivered detailed testimony on Friday, 10 July 2026, at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
His evidence centred on claims that Johnson improperly involved herself in a 2018 criminal complaint against Khan.
At the time, Johnson was a senior prosecutor with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Andrea Johnson and Feroz Khan in the spotlight at Madlanga commission
According to Roelofse, the matter only came to his attention in 2022 after an unnamed female colonel reported concerns about interactions between Johnson and Khan.
As part of the investigation, Roelofse interviewed former journalist and AfriForum communications manager, Barry Bateman, who had been in possession of documents related to a complaint of assault and intimidation lodged by former Crime Intelligence officer Manana Leonora Phetlhe against Khan.
Bateman indicated that Johnson had approached him requesting the material, though he could not recall her reasons.
Roelofse described a key incident from 4 July 2018, when the colonel – who shared office space with Khan – was instructed to provide her private email address during a phone call facilitated by Khan.
Shortly afterwards, Johnson sent an email containing sensitive case information, including Phetlhe’s statement, a J88 medical report, and an audio recording linked to the alleged assault which occurred on 26 June 2018.
The colonel was allegedly instructed to delete the email after sharing its contents with Khan.
Instead, she printed the material and handed it to him in an envelope, retaining the original message.
Roelofse told the commission that Khan received the documents just one day before Hawks investigators were scheduled to take his warning statement.
He argued that this sequence of events undermined the integrity of the investigation, as it may have allowed Khan to align his version of events with the available evidence.
Roelofse further highlighted that Khan arrived for questioning with a prepared statement, raising additional concerns.
He maintained that Johnson’s actions amounted to interference and she effectively defeated the ends of justice.
The commission’s chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, described the conduct as “impropriety”.
Disputed handling of case docket
The testimony also addressed how Bateman came into possession of the case documents.
Roelofse said the material had been shared with the former journalist via WhatsApp by a source, despite the docket not being publicly available.
“The public domain part comes when you go to court, and the documents are handed up.
“The fact that you have a source who gave you the documents does not make it public domain, not as far as I am concerned, when it comes to the reporter.
“You can’t circumvent the process just because a source gave you the information.”
Roelofse added that Johnson appeared aware that the exchange of documents was improper, pointing out that the Idac head used an “off-the-grid” communication channel via Gmail.
“If it was an above board conversation, you would use your NPA email account… because you are actually entitled to request documents in her position.”
The investigation later revealed that the NPA declined to prosecute Khan in December 2021, with the case formally closed the following month.
Ex-Hawks head and former NDPP implicated
Roelofse also raised alarm about how information related to the Johnson investigation may have been shared internally.
In August 2022, he approached then Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya to request for assistance.
He provided Lebeya with the colonel’s statement and supporting documentation.
“I told General Lebeya that we needed the NPA to assign a senior prosecutor to the matter.”
However, in September 2022, Johnson called Roelofse to a meeting where she allegedly disclosed knowledge of the complaint against her.
According to Roelofse, Johnson informed him that then national director of prosecutions (NDPP)s Shamila Batohi had shown her the colonel’s sworn statement.
He also testified that Bateman claimed Johnson had told him Batohi had approached her regarding the same affidavit.
Roelofse believed it may have been passed to Batohi by Lebeya.
“I do not know as a fact that General Lebeya gave the colonel’s affidavit to Advocate Batohi.
“However, Advocate Johnson told me that Advocate Batohi showed her the colonel’s affidavit when I met with her on 7 September 2022,” Roelofse’s statement reads.
He bemoaned Batohi’s alleged disclosure to Johnson, saying it was “extremely concerning” that a complaint would be shared with the individual implicated in it.
Roelofse concluded his testimony by stating that no prosecutor had been appointed to pursue either the case against Khan or the allegations against Johnson by the time he retired in January 2025.
The investigation file was subsequently handed over to Captain Mark McLean.
