Johannesburg - Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan was preparing to be arrested after his appearance in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Instead, his bail conditions, on a charge of contravening the Citizenship Act, were amended to say he could not be arrested for any offence he may have committed before June 6.
The Star understands that O’Sullivan was called to the Hawks' Germiston offices last week and quizzed on two dockets opened against him in Bramley and Rosebank, on intimidation and kidnapping charges.
In a letter written by O’Sullivan’s attorneys Darryl Furman & Associates to advocate JJ Mlotshwa of the National Prosecuting Authority, they lay out that they believe these dockets were the latest in a batch of “contrived and trumped-up allegations aimed at stopping our client from exposing the systemic corruption within the police hierarchy”.
The Hawks had previously indicated they were investigating O’Sullivan for treason, but he has not been charged with this.
Furman asked in the letter why the intimidation and kidnapping cases were opened only after O’Sullivan’s arrest in April, when the alleged offences took place nearly two years ago.
O’Sullivan believed he would be charged and arrested at court on these charges.
“I am expecting an arrest. They are desperate to shut down anyone who is exposing corruption,” he said.
He first appeared in court along with the previous chief executive of SA Airways, Monwabisi Kalawe, and the chief operating officer of the Mogale City council, Abednego Mbulawa.
They had been charged with extortion, intimidation, fraud, forgery and uttering in a case where false allegations had been made against SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni.
The case was quickly postponed to September and O’Sullivan moved to the court next door to appear on the immigration charge. At least 10 Hawks officers, including Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Prince Mokotedi, watched proceedings.
There, advocate Barry Roux indicated that the State and the defence had come to a settlement which would see O’Sullivan’s bail conditions amended.
Roux told the court that the State had agreed that O’Sullivan would not be arrested for any offence he may have committed before June 6. If he is charged for any more crimes other than the SAA and immigration case, he would be summoned to court instead.
O’Sullivan did not have to report to a police station daily and was allowed to fly domestically. A trial date for the immigration case was set for next month.
The Star