Johannesburg – The Hawks have lambasted a report released by forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan while challenging him to “put his money where his mouth is”.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations on Sunday said it was “bewildered” by claims made to the media by O’Sullivan and especially took a swipe at a report released by the investigator titled “Joining the Dots”.
“Of all the things that this so-called document had speculated, Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza is more concerned about the malicious, baseless accusations which seek to compromise or to undermine the sovereignty of the country, calculatingly destabilise the justice system, make wild accusations against senior government officials, journalists, business people and, more importantly, denting the image of the South African Police Service and the DPCI, the elite crime-fighting unit which he leads,” said Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.
In the report, which was released last year, O’Sullivan claimed that President Jacob Zuma had taken control of the justice system to ensure the charges he and members of his family and their associates faced are diverted.
“With O’Sullivan having proved himself over the years that he is too forward and never thinks twice in his endless attempts to claim glory; if the contents of his so-called report had any substance, the man would have already opened hundreds of dockets against the people he had pointed fingers at,” said Mulaudzi.
O’Sullivan’s report claimed that Ntlemeza, chief of detectives Lieutenant-General Vinesh Moonoo, Gauteng Hawks’ Prince Mokotedi, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, and National Prosecution Authority head Shaun Abrahams could be charged with racketeering, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
O’Sullivan rejected the statements by the Hawks and said they were propaganda.
He said the remarks were unfortunate. Dockets had been opened and forwarded to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate after, he alleged, the SAPS refused to carry out its constitutional mandate.
“Ntlemeza, was unlawfully appointed by Nhleko, as is clear in the ‘Joining the Dots’ report, and has many questions to answer. They both do,” O’Sullivan said. “It is best that those questions are answered in a court of law."
“I intend to make sure they all have their day in court, so that they are held accountable for this disgraceful conduct.”
Mulaudzi said O’Sullivan’s modus operandi was digging up dirt and dragging people’s names through the mud while making accusations based on non-existent crimes.
“If Paul O’Sullivan is as learned as he claims to be, together with his cabal, they should know the simple procedure of laying criminal charges here in South Africa. Their media might assist in spreading the rumours but will definitely not criminally charge anyone.”
The Hawks said the release of the report was curious as it appeared as though O’Sullivan had already joined the dots and this should have led to him laying criminal charges against those he has laid claims against.
“Like any law-abiding citizen who has a responsibility to create a crime-free South Africa, O’Sullivan must stop speculating, tarnishing people’s images and enticing the public into losing trust in such individuals, institutions and, more importantly, the government,” said Mulaudzi.
“Lieutenant-General Ntlemeza has asserted that if Paul O’Sullivan has any dots to join, he should do so within the ambit of the law and stop feeding the residents of this country with well-orchestrated lies through his partisan media.”
Meanwhile, Mulaudzi confirmed that Sarah-Jane Trent, O’Sullivan’s assistant, had been arrested at the weekend. However, he said he could not provide details of the arrest.