The forensic investigator set to appear before the committee cited serious security concerns.
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan. Picture: Gallo Images/Lauren Mulligan
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan will finally testify at parliament’s ad hoc committee.
O’Sullivan told The Citizen that he will give his testimony in person, with full security in place, on Tuesday.
Ad-hoc committee
The forensic investigator was due to appear before the committee last week, but did not, citing serious security concerns.
Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing criminality, political interference and corruption within the justice system intensified calls for O’Sullivan to appear before it in person.
O’Sullivan provided The Citizen with copies of the documents for submission to parliament, including a 64-page affidavit.
He told parliament’s ad hoc committee in January that he would not appear before it in person, saying statements by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had put his life at risk.
ALSO READ: Paul O’Sullivan hits Mkhwanazi with defamation lawsuit
Allegations
While appearing before the ad hoc committee, Mkhwananzi alleged that O’Sullivan had ties to the former head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Robert McBride and that some Ipid operations were planned.
He also accused O’Sullivan of having too much influence in the criminal justice system.
In his affidavit, O Sullivan denied the allegations.
“I formally deny the false and defamatory allegations levelled against me by General Mkhwanazi and request evidence of his outlandish claims through this committee, as well as his conduct in inciting violence in the form of telling parliament that if they do not take action against me, the men and women of the country will take drastic action themselves.
“This unlawful conduct of Mkhwanazi has resulted in unlawful threats against me on social media, forcing me to increase my threat level from amber to red,” he said.
Remuneration
The forensic investigator said, for the avoidance of doubt, he has never been remunerated for any of his public interest work over the last 25 years.
“Quite the opposite, I have spent vast sums of my own funds in the interests of making South Africa a safer country for all its inhabitants.
“I want to live in a country where the rule of law means something and that all citizens will share equally in an effective criminal justice system that is not broken,” O’ Sullivan said.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Paul O’Sullivan on why he does not want to appear in person before Parliament
Parliament
Parliament speaker Thoko Didiza said she was pleased that O’ Sullivan will be available to appear in person before the Ad Hoc Committee to testify from Tuesday, without the need for summonses to be issued.
The speaker understands that engagements are continuing with another witness, Mr Mogotsi. Should further engagement not yield the necessary outcome, the Speaker will be advised by the Ad Hoc Committee so that the issuing of a summons may be considered,” Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said.
“The issuing of a summons is a serious legal measure and must remain an act of last resort. It cannot be invoked lightly or without meeting the strict legal requirements prescribed by law. Issuing summonses prematurely or without proper procedural grounding risks undermining the credibility of Parliament’s processes and exposing them to avoidable judicial review.”
Last week, Didiza informed the committee that it didn’t provide her with evidence that it had duly considered O’Sullivan’s request to appear virtually.
ANC in parliament
The ANC in parliament said the confirmation of O’Sullivan’s physical appearance vindicates the speaker’s guidance, which was adopted by the committee.
“It reaffirms the principle that reasoned engagement, respect for due process, and constitutionalism must always prevail over the politics of theatrics and spectacle. The ANC Study Group has consistently maintained that both Mr O’Sullivan and Mr [Brown] Mogotsi should appear before the committee in person rather than virtually, in the interests of accountability, transparency, and the integrity of parliamentary oversight.
“It is therefore deeply regrettable that certain political parties deliberately distorted this due process, choosing instead to maliciously politicise the work of the committee in an attempt to discredit the ANC and falsely portray it as shielding criminality,” the ANC said.
‘Not avoiding parliament’
Last month, O’Sullivan said he was not avoiding parliament.
“When I got the email on 27 November last year, inviting me to go to parliament, I replied the next morning, and I said, ‘It will be a great pleasure to testify because there are things that need to be out there,’” O’Sullivan told Crime Watch on eNCA.
Attending in person
At the time, the forensic investigator said even if he were in South Africa, he would not attend in person.
“Why are they so keen to have me there in person? It leads me to believe they’re mixed in with these criminals, and they’re conspiring with them to get me into a particular position where they can have me shot, and then by the way, I’ll probably be shot before I give evidence. So, I’m quite happy to do it virtually.
“… their own rules provide for it being done virtually. So, those crooks in parliament wanted me to get there in person and in Irish they say ‘pop my horn’, I’m not going to translate that, but I’m not going there,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan said he was not avoiding Parliament and always planned to be overseas, specifically in Australia and Fiji, during the Christmas period.
O’Sullivan said he also had “some work” in Ireland and London.
ALSO READ: Paul O’Sullivan refuses to appear at parliament’s ad hoc committee due to ‘threats’
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