• National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams faces questions over his prison visits, secret recordings, Crime Intelligence information and dealings with police investigators.
• Evidence leaders received Adams’s sworn statement and supporting documents after 9pm on Monday and are expected to ask for his testimony to be postponed.
National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams was expected in the Madlanga Commission hot seat on Tuesday, but his testimony could be delayed before it even starts.
The Member of Parliament was subpoenaed to appear at 9.30am.
But evidence leaders only received his sworn statement and supporting documents after 9pm on Monday.
They are expected to ask for a postponement so they have enough time to study the documents and prepare for his evidence.
When Adams eventually takes the stand, he could face tough questions about prison visits, secretly recorded prisoners, Crime Intelligence information and his dealings with police investigators.
His appearance has attracted attention because he is also facing criminal charges of fraud and defeating the administration of justice.
Those charges relate to his conduct at Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal.
The state alleges Adams misrepresented his parliamentary status to gain access to the prison by claiming he was there on official parliamentary business.
While there, Adams interviewed awaiting trial and convicted prisoners linked to the 2017 murder of former African National Congress Youth League secretary Sindiso Magaqa.
He also secretly recorded some of the prisoners.
Investigators allege Adams later used information and recordings obtained from the inmates to make claims involving senior police officials.
Among the officials implicated was Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo.
The claims have raised questions about whether Adams interfered with a sensitive murder investigation.
Adams does not completely dispute visiting the prison or later handing information to police.
However, he rejects claims that what he did was criminal or driven by an improper motive.
He has publicly said he is ready to answer questions and clear his name.
The commission is also expected to examine his claims about Crime Intelligence.
Adams has accused the police unit of abusing secret funds for personal benefit.
Questions have also emerged about how information supplied by Adams was later handled by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption.
The directorate was previously headed by Advocate Andrea Johnson, whose conduct has also come under scrutiny before the commission.
Last month, Investigating Directorate Against Corruption State Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy told the commission that she believed Adams should have faced charges for allegedly possessing Crime Intelligence information.
Evidence presented to the commission has also questioned whether Adams’s original complaint should have been investigated by the directorate in the first place.
Testimony has suggested that the complaint may not have fallen within the directorate’s legal powers or provided a proper basis for an investigation.
That leaves several versions of events for the commission to examine.
Adams will have an opportunity to give his version and respond to claims made about his actions.
But evidence leaders first want time to work through the sworn statement and supporting documents they received late on Monday.
That means the much anticipated questioning of Adams is unlikely to get underway as planned on Tuesday.
Whenever he does take the stand, his evidence could become an important part of the commission’s examination of the links between politicians, police intelligence, investigators and sensitive criminal cases.
For now, the National Coloured Congress leader remains under the spotlight, with difficult questions about his prison visits and access to police information still waiting for answers.
Pictured above: National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams faces questions at the Madlanga Commission over prison visits, secret recordings and Crime Intelligence information.
Image source: File.
