#paulosullivan in bid to end arrest ambushes

Forensic consultant Paul O’Sullivan File picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Media

Forensic consultant Paul O’Sullivan File picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Media

Published Feb 15, 2017

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Pretoria – Paul O’Sullivan and his lawyer are set to approach the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in a bid to avoid premature arrests like the forensic consultant experienced on Monday night.

O’Sullivan was arrested outside AfriForum’s offices in Pretoria and taken to Kameeldrift police station, where he was charged with fraud, intimidation and extortion. This was allegedly for impersonating a member of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

Late that night, his lawyers proceeded to the high court in Pretoria to seek an urgent order for his release, and to comply with an earlier order that, should they intend to detain him, give him 48 hours to present himself to a police station.

Judge Francis Legodi ordered the matter be struck off the roll. He reserved judgment on who would pay costs.

“Right now we’ll have to talk to the NPA and agree they approach investigations with more dignity and honour,” said O’Sullivan’s lawyer Willie Spies.

“We do not have a problem with what they are doing, but it's a different story when they ambush and ill-treat our clients. We need to have an agreement with the SAPS.”

Spies said the controversial investigator was under a lot of strain because of his recent arrest.

O’Sullivan’s lawyer, Sarah Jane Trent, appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where her matter was postponed for further investigation. Trent was arrested on Friday afternoon and released on Sunday night after appearing in the high court in Pretoria.

She was charged with impersonating an Ipid official over the pair’s probe into acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane.

Her bail was set at R5 000 and the matter was on Tuesday postponed to May 19.

Pretoria News

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