O'Sullivan denied fleeing or leaving the country because he feared for his life
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan says he did not leave the country to avoid going to Parliament.
Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing criminality, political interference and corruption within the justice system intensified calls last week for O’Sullivan to appear before it in person.
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‘Not avoiding Parliament’
O’Sullivan said he is 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.
“These trolls that seem to be supporting the criminal element in the police, they’ve created the impression that I’ve left the country to avoid going to Parliament. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“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.
‘Never fled SA’
O’Sullivan said he never fled or left the country because he feared for his life.
“It’s absolutely untrue, completely untrue.”
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Won’t attend in person
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.
The Citizen has contacted the chairperson of Parliament’s ad hoc committee for comment. This will be added to the article once received.
O’Sullivan slammed by MPs
Last week, ANC MP Mdumiseni Ntuli launched a scathing attack on O’Sullivan, accusing him of disrespecting Parliament.
“We will not accept any excuse, as he has said it in those emails about his security and that we want to organise him to be murdered and all that nonsense he is talking about,” Ntuli said.
Ntuli proposed that if O’Sullivan does not return to South Africa in time, the committee should explore alternative mechanisms to secure his testimony, including appearing before a portfolio committee and submitting supplementary input to the final report.
He stressed the importance of O’Sullivan’s role within the security sector, given his frequent public criticism of the police.
Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa
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