Member of Parliament and leader, National Coloured Congress · Cape Town
Named in evidence · yet to testify
The Member of Parliament and National Coloured Congress leader whose section 27 complaint to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption founded the entire Crime Intelligence investigation - the case against Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and Brigadier Dineo Mokwele that the National Prosecuting Authority provisionally withdrew on 27 July 2026. His referral asked for an investigation into the Political Killings Task Team over allegations that its members had misused Crime Intelligence's secret services account. That document has become the most contested piece of paper in the inquiry: Colonel Brian Padayachee conceded on Day 141 that he did not have Adams's original signed affidavit when the investigation began, a supplementary statement marked 'A1' attributed to Adams was disputed on tape by two IDAC officials on Day 148, and Advocate Peter Serunye testified on Day 153 that he was repeatedly refused access to the referral after taking over the prosecution. Adams has not yet given public evidence. On 11 August 2026 the commission dealt with a ten-month delay in his statement, which he attributed to a parliamentary laptop that persistently froze and needed repeated repairs; chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga called the explanation 'unbelievable', and Parliament issued a statement that evening saying its ICT records reflect no such fault. He has said publicly that he will 'drop big bombs' when he testifies, and has called on IDAC state advocate Drushantha Ramsamy to release a recording she holds of him. Nothing here is a finding against him; he is presumed innocent and the disputes about the paperwork are untested.
This profile summarises testimony and evidence given on the public record before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. It restates allegations as presented at the hearings and is not a finding of guilt, liability, or wrongdoing by any person.
Fadiel Adams · Named in evidence · yet to testify
Their role
What the record says
His section 27 referral founded the Crime Intelligence investigation
Adams's complaint to IDAC, a section 27 referral, asked for an investigation into the Political Killings Task Team over allegations that its members had misused the police's secret service slush fund. It is the document from which the entire prosecution of Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and his co-accused flows. The NPA provisionally withdrew those charges on 27 July 2026, before plea, on the express basis that the investigation was incomplete.
The paperwork attributed to him is disputed from several directions
Colonel Brian Padayachee conceded on Day 141 that he did not have Adams's original signed affidavit when the investigation commenced, which chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga called 'highly improbable'. On Day 148 two IDAC officials - Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy and investigator Mantsha Robert Raphesu - disputed on recorded voice notes the authenticity of a supplementary statement marked 'A1' attributed to Adams and filed by chief investigator Dylan Perumal. On Day 152 Raphesu alleged that then IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson had put a false version of the referral before Parliament's ad hoc committee. On Day 153 Advocate Peter Serunye said he was repeatedly refused the referral itself. None of this is an allegation that Adams did anything wrong with the document; it is a dispute about what IDAC did with it. All of it is untested.
Parliament disputes his account of a ten-month delay
On 11 August 2026 Adams attributed a ten-month delay in submitting his statement to the commission to a parliamentary laptop that persistently froze and had to be returned for repairs repeatedly. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga called the explanation 'unbelievable', and the delay forced his public testimony to be postponed so the commission could review the statement. Parliament issued a statement that evening saying its ICT service desk records 'do not reflect any reported incident of persistent laptop malfunction, hardware failure, repeated freezing of the device, or the laptop being repeatedly submitted to ICT for repairs', with only routine user-access and account-support matters logged.
Says he will 'drop big bombs' when he testifies
Adams told eNCA in August 2026 that he would 'expect bombs, big ones' when he eventually gives evidence before the commission, and called on IDAC state advocate Drushantha Ramsamy to release a recording of him running to almost two hours which he says she holds. He has not yet given public evidence.
