Oversight judge confirms receipt of complaints involving Idac head

The office of the Idac oversight judge has confirmed that it has received complaints relating to the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), advocate Andrea Johnson.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the office said it was departing from its usual practice of not commenting on complaints because of the “exceptional public interest” in the matter, the volume of media enquiries and the fact that the existence of the complaints was already in the public domain.

Spokesperson Tiyisela Mpuzana said the complaints were being handled through the office’s established processes and were being assessed in line with its statutory mandate and the applicable legal framework.

The office stressed that it remained committed to protecting whistleblowers and complainants who reported alleged corruption and misconduct in good faith.

It said reporting allegations of corruption was a key element of constitutional accountability and the rule of law, and that it would take all reasonable measures within its legal mandate to protect those who raise concerns from prejudice, intimidation or retaliation.

The office also clarified that there was no fixed rule on whether the identities of people who were the subject of complaints should be made public.

Mpuzana said decisions on whether to disclose or withhold such information depended on the circumstances of each case, taking into account factors including the public interest, procedural fairness, legality, the rights of affected parties and the integrity of the office’s processes.

The office emphasised that receiving a complaint did not amount to a finding of wrongdoing or evidence of misconduct.

It said every complaint was considered independently and objectively, in line with the principles of procedural fairness.

To protect the integrity of its processes and the rights of all parties involved, the office said it would not comment further on the substance of the complaints or on any assessment or investigative steps that may or may not follow while the matter remains under consideration.

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