‘I Am In Agony’: Paul O’Sullivan’s Explosive SAPS Testimony Halted Amid Pain

Proceedings in Parliament took an unexpected turn on Wednesday evening when private investigator and former police reservist Paul O’Sullivan was forced to stop his testimony after complaining of intense physical pain.

The ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption and interference within the South African Police Service (SAPS) adjourned shortly after 7pm when O’Sullivan said he was in “excruciating pain” linked to spinal reconstruction surgery.

O’Sullivan, who has previously told the committee that he survived multiple assassination attempts and had been shot in the past, informed MPs that the discomfort had become unbearable.

Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane confirmed the decision to suspend proceedings following discussions among members.

“We have established a very good relationship with the witness over the two days he has been with us, and that relationship has been cemented. I am confident that the engagements we have had with you will continue, and that we will find a suitable date that is comfortable for all of us,” Lekganyane said.

A fresh date will be set after consultation with O’Sullivan’s legal representatives. He indicated that he is due to travel abroad for business in the coming weeks.

Explosive SAPS Allegations Rock First Day of Inquiry

O’Sullivan’s appearance began on Tuesday with a series of sweeping claims directed at senior police officials.

He labelled KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, national commissioner General Fannie Masemola and Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo as “rogue”, alleging their conduct warranted imprisonment.

He also revisited his years-long campaign against former national commissioner Jackie Selebi, detailing how his investigations played a role in Selebi’s arrest and eventual 15-year jail term in 2010.

During his testimony, O’Sullivan referenced the political tensions between former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. He suggested that law enforcement structures were used during that period in a way that influenced political developments ahead of the ANC’s decisive Polokwane conference in 2007.

Addressing allegations that he operated as a foreign agent, O’Sullivan firmly rejected the claims. Despite holding Irish, British and South African citizenship, he told the committee his allegiance lies with South Africa.

O’Sullivan AfriForum Links and Police Commissioner Appointment Claims Under Scrutiny

On the second day of questioning, MPs pressed O’Sullivan on his affiliations and past legal troubles.

He confirmed under questioning that he is a member of AfriForum. Responding to queries about his 2017 arrest, O’Sullivan maintained he had been visiting his lawyer at the time and denied meeting with AfriForum representatives.

ANC MP Khusela Diko questioned him about his alleged involvement in the appointment process of a permanent national police commissioner following the departure of General Khehla Sitole in 2022.

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O’Sullivan revealed that then presidential adviser Bejani Chauke had approached him for informal guidance. According to his testimony, Chauke shared a shortlist of roughly eight candidates, and O’Sullivan’s organisation, Forensics for Justice, conducted lifestyle audits on those individuals.

“My recommendation was that there were six names on the list that would have been unsuitable for appointment because of their lifestyles,” O’Sullivan told the committee.

Sitole’s term concluded in early 2022 after a legal dispute with President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding his suspension and fitness for office. General Fannie Masemola officially took over on 31 March 2022.

O’Sullivan further claimed that a statement presented by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi on 6 July last year had been drafted on a computer in Pretoria, adding another layer of complexity to the inquiry.

The parliamentary committee continues to investigate claims of corruption, misconduct and political interference within SAPS and the broader law enforcement sector. O’Sullivan is expected to return to complete his testimony at a later stage.