The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Adv Andrea Johnson has formally requested permission to resign with immediate effect, with National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Adv Shamila Batohi now considering the request.
In a statement, NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga confirmed that Johnson had submitted a letter to the NDPP requesting to be released from his position without serving his notice period.
“The NDPP has received a letter from the Head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Adv Andre Johnson, requesting permission to resign with immediate effect. The National Director is processing the request,” Mhaga said.
However, NPA sources have indicated that Johnson is contractually required to serve a three-month notice period before leaving office.
In the letter, titled “Request to be Released from Office,” Johnson says the past five months have been among the most difficult of his career due to sustained attacks against him personally and professionally.
“The recent five months or so have been challenging and the attacks on both my person and official capacity have been unprecedented,” he wrote.
Johnson attributes much of the criticism to corruption investigations conducted by IDAC involving officials linked to Crime Intelligence.
“Much of the attacks revolve and arise out of the cases IDAC has conducted against officials of Crime Intelligence,” he said.
She adds that the negative attention has not only affected him but has also damaged the reputation of IDAC and the NPA.
“The attacks, in all its forms, has brought an extreme amount of negative attention not just to me, but to IDAC and the NPA.”
Johnson says that after three decades of service, he does not want to become a liability to the institutions he has served.
“I have given thirty years of service to an organization I love dearly. I cannot be the reason that there is so much negative attention and reputational risk to IDAC and the NPA.”
In his proposal, Johnson offers to vacate his office within 24 hours should his request be approved and argues that precedent exists within the NPA for senior officials to be released without serving notice.
“I must add that the NPA has previously released the DPP of KZN after she was on suspension for almost eighteen months the day she was given notice of a hearing. Her resignation was accepted. The same was done with Special Director Molele. I mention these just to indicate that colleagues of a similar rank were allowed to leave, without notice.”
Johnson concludes by thanking both the President and the NPA for the opportunity to serve, saying his proposed departure would be in the best interests of the country.
“Your Excellency, you have granted me an amazing opportunity to serve. I am indebted to you, the country and the NPA. It is precisely because of this that I request your urgent consideration of the proposal of being released on resignation. The NPA and IDAC must and will always come first and I believe that this resignation in the manner proposed would serve the institutions and the country best.”
The Presidency has not yet publicly commented on Johnson’s request, while the NPA has indicated only that the NDPP is processing the application.
