Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo’s arrest was to protect national security - Batohi

The National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, has defended the arrest of Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo to protect national security.

But Batohi has conceded that President Cyril Ramaphosa should have been consulted before Khumalo and six co-accused were arrested for fraud and corruption for the hiring of Dineo Mokwele to Crime Intelligence, allegedly despite her lack of policing experience.

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She told Parliament's police ad hoc committee on Tuesday night that Khumalo's arrest by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) was justified and above board.

Batohi, as expected, was grilled about the arrest of Khumalo for what has been called an "HR" matter.

She was also questioned by a member of the committee on whether his arrest would not disrupt the country's intelligence and cause a security risk.

But Batohi said the arrest was, itself, part of preventing a national security risk.

“I think, in their view, they saw a greater threat to national security with the situation that was unfolding in terms of their case theory with regards to the recruitment of people for specific reasons and so, the IDAC has explained this was part of a much larger case strategy.”

However, Batohi conceded that the IDAC's head - Andrea Johnson - should have recused herself from a panel that interviewed her husband 20 years ago, but added that this was different from Khumalo's case when he hired Mokwele.

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