Ex-IDAC Head, Ex-Crime Intelligence General Face Justice Charges

Andrea Johnson, formerly head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), and Feroz Khan, a former Crime Intelligence Major-General, were taken into custody on Friday, 30 October 2026, on charges of allegedly defeating the ends of justice. The two once held senior roles in South Africa’s criminal justice machinery. They are due to appear for the first time in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court after arrest warrants were authorised on Thursday.

The arrests follow months of mounting scrutiny. They place the accountability of two of the country’s most senior law enforcement office-holders squarely before the courts, and for institutions already under pressure to show that no official is above scrutiny, the case is a significant test of internal oversight and disciplinary processes.

The allegations trace back to testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which heard that Johnson had accessed and leaked a confidential South African Police Service (SAPS) criminal case docket to Khan in 2018. The docket concerned an assault and intimidation complaint laid against Khan by his colleague, Brigadier Leonora Phetlhe. According to the evidence presented, the leak gave Khan sight of Phetlhe’s version of events, allowing him to prepare a warning statement before investigators formally interviewed him.

The commission also examined the relationship between the two accused. Evidence and WhatsApp messages placed before it exposed an alleged closeness between Johnson and Khan that extended beyond professional boundaries, contradicting Johnson’s initial denials.

Both institutions moved against their former officials as the inquiry unfolded. Johnson resigned with immediate effect as IDAC head in July 2026 after declining to answer specific questions about the alleged docket leak, invoking her right against self-incrimination. Khan’s exit came through a different route: he was dismissed from the SAPS with immediate effect on 2 September 2026 after failing to appear before an expedited internal disciplinary process.

Khan’s legal troubles extend beyond the docket matter. He faces separate criminal charges connected to an alleged illicit precious minerals scandal and a purported staged drug bust in Aeroton involving 751kg of cocaine.

The forthcoming court appearance will begin the process of testing these allegations in a judicial forum, where questions of mandate, conduct and accountability can be examined in full.