Controversial National Prosecuting Authority deputy head Nomgcobo Jiba has performed a Houdini act. Neither police nor her bosses at the NPA have been able to locate her, despite repeated visits to her home.The authorities have reportedly also visited the homes of several of her relatives. Jiba allegedly went AWOL after she was apparently tipped off that police were looking to serve her with a summons to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court next month on fraud and perjury charges.Repeated attempts to reach Jiba by cellphone yesterday failed.The charges stem from Jiba's alleged falsifying of information and documents and lying in an affidavit that was used to charge KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Major-General Johan Booysen with racketeering. All criminal charges against Booysen, who was alleged to have headed the ''Cato Manor hit squad'', were dropped earlier this year.Jiba has disappeared as South Africa's security cluster continues to be embroiled in controversy.Yesterday, the head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Robert McBride, was suspended by Police Minister, Nkosinathi Nhleko.McBride failed last week to stop his suspension for allegedly altering a report into the rendition of Zimbabwean political dissidents from South Africa to their home country, where several were allegedly killed by police.The original report implicated Hawks national head Lieutenant-General Anwa Dramat and the elite unit's Gauteng head Major-General Shadrack Sibiya in the disappearances. Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini yesterday referred all queries regarding McBride's suspension to Nhleko's spokesman, who was unavailable to comment.NPA head Mxolisi Nxasana is apparently furious at Jiba's disappearance, with prosecuting authority insiders telling The Times that he had demanded her head."This is an embarrassment. The 'chief' is more than angry. How, as a senior prosecuting figure, who knows full well the implications of such a move, do you disappear? Does she think that by disappearing the charges will simply vanish?" said the insider.NPA spokesman Velekhaya Mgobhozi confirmed that Nxasana, as Jiba's employer, had received the summonses that were to be served on her."This follows several attempts by the police to serve her at home . She has not been cooperating at all with the police," he said.Mgobhozi said the next step was for Nxasana, "who also tried to contact Jiba by telephone several times today [yesterday]", to serve the summonses on Jiba."The summonses are clear. She has to appear in courtroom 19 in the Pretoria regional courthouse on April 21 . to answer to charges of fraud and perjury."Repeated messages to Jiba have gone unanswered. She was meant to report to work today, but did not. The NPA does not know where she is and has no record of her leave application. She is AWOL," Mgobhozi said.He confirmed that the fraud and perjury charges related to the failed prosecution of Booysen.Jiba was alleged to have issued the racketeering certificate leading to Booysen's arrest, he said. "These certificates can only be issued by the national director of prosecutions [Nxasana]. This is a very serious offence."Police spokesman Lieutenant- General Solomon Makgale said the summons issued by the NPA, which was also the complainant in the matter, had not been issued in consultation with the SAPS."Normally, the investigating officer would consult with a prosecutor before such a decision is taken. In this case, the investigation was not yet ready to be placed before the Directorate for Public Prosecutions for a decision on whether to prosecute or issue a summons."Asked if Jiba would be suspended, Mgobhozi referred The Times to the Presidency, whose spokesman, Mac Maharaj, failed to respond to e-mailed questions.Jiba is not new to controversy.In its judgment on the Zuma spy tapes, the Supreme Court of Appeal called her less than candid and said her behaviour was not worthy of her office.In his judgment in the Booysen matter, Judge Trevor Gorven told Jiba her "unconstitutional" decisions "offend the rule of law"...