Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system has opened a criminal case against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan for contempt of parliament and witness intimidation.
The legal action stems from two primary incidents:
- The alleged intimidation of Cedrick Nkabinde, the chief of staff in the police ministry, during his testimony.
- O’Sullivan’s recent dramatic walkout during ad hoc committee proceedings while he was providing evidence.
During a committee housekeeping meeting on Monday, parliament’s legal representative, Andile Tetyana, confirmed that a case was officially opened last Thursday.
“We can confirm that on March 12, a criminal case was opened against O’Sullivan,” Tetyana said. “On March 13, we were informed by the police station that the matter will be investigated by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).”
Other parties, including the EFF, have also filed a criminal case against O’Sullivan.
The incidents began in November when Nkabinde informed the committee he had received an intimidating text from O’Sullivan. The message read: “Get ready you lying crook. I am going to make sure you spend some years in prison. You were bribed by Mkhwanazi and Mapula. Now you will pay for your crimes, guaranteed.”
Appearing before the committee in February and March, O’Sullivan admitted to sending the message but denied it constituted a threat.
O’Sullivan justified his conduct by arguing that a “tough facade” is a necessary survival tactic forged by his professional history. He maintained that in his line of work, one must often “fight fire with fire”.
“Unfortunately, it was necessary to take those steps,” O’Sullivan told the committee.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I might have done it slightly differently, but I realise that if I hadn’t fought hard, I or my family would be dead. I had to move my family overseas for their own protection.”
O’Sullivan offered an apology for his abrupt walkout during the parliamentary proceedings. He concluded his testimony on March 5.
TimesLIVE
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