IDAC mum on kidnapping, assault of top official
IDAC investigations head Matthews Sesoko was kidnapped and assaulted near Midrand before being abandoned by his attackers, who made off with his cellphone and laptop.
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THE National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has refused to be drawn into speculation of what might have led to the kidnapping of its head of investigations and operations Matthews Sesoko.
Friday’s incident resulted in him being assaulted near Midrand, before being abandoned by his attackers, who made off with his official cellphone and laptop.
The incident has raised questions about what information was on Sesoko's work cellphone and laptop and how this will impact the parliamentary inquiry investigating allegations made by Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police provincial commissioner regarding criminal infiltration, corruption, and political interference within South Africa’s justice system.
It occurred a day after his boss, IDAC head, Advocate Andrea Johnson, had promised to provide supporting documents for her affidavit to the Ad-Hoc Committee investigating allegations of political interference and collusion with cartels.
Albert Mncwango, an IFP MP and Ad-Hoc Committee member, said the kidnapping incident raises a lot of questions, because some of Johnson’s responses during her appearance before the Ad-Hoc Committee were ‘very unsatisfactory’.
“She was very slippery on key aspects of her testimony. It was very difficult to pin her down so that she would tell the truth and the truth only. I can count a number of areas for me, at least, and also some contradictions. Now that makes one begin to take things with a pinch of salt, because you don’t understand what is going on in there,” Mncwango stated.
After hearing about the kidnapping incident, he asked: “Why is this kidnapping of a person with all the information that we want? Who is kidnapping him? Who would do that? Is it real? Was he, in fact, kidnapped? Was that information there in the first place? If it was there, would they be willing to share it with the Committee?”
Mncwango said IDAC should explain to the committee what exactly happened.
IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said: “IDAC will not be commenting on these matters at this stage.”
He declined to comment on whether the information meant to be submitted to the Ad-Hoc Committee was lost during the kidnapping and theft.
Cape Times