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The Hawks have filed a heap of charges against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan since he was arrested last month for allegedly trying to leave the country using his Irish passport.
City Press has reliably learnt from senior Hawks members that there are at least 12 cases that are currently being investigated against the Irishman over and above the four charges of intimidation, forgery, extortion and contravening the Migration Act.
He is currently out on R20 000 bail and is scheduled to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
O’Sullivan is hated within the law enforcement agencies. He has been a thorn in the side of many senior police officers and has laid criminal charges against high-profile political individuals, including President Jacob Zuma, Thabo Mbeki, Riah Phiyega, head of detectives Vinesh Moonoo, among others.
He has sent “intimidating” emails to several people, including acting police commissioner Johannes Phahlane and SAA chair Dudu Myeni.
In one of the new cases, O’Sullivan will face a charge of espionage along with a crime intelligence officer who allegedly helped him illegally intercept telephone calls.
The state alleges in another espionage charge that he gave sensitive information about SA Police Service generals and senior government officials to foreign intelligence agencies.
“The intelligence officer concerned is already facing a departmental inquiry after it emerged that she shared sensitive information with O’Sullivan. She is also facing criminal charges and has been suspended,” the Hawks official said.
Sources said the crime intelligence officer, whose name is known to City Press, collapsed when she was served with her suspension and presented with evidence to be used in the internal and criminal proceedings.
According to the official, the officer abused her powers by deliberately adding people’s names and contacts numbers to a list – so their calls and SMSes could be intercepted – in a legal application submitted before judges for approval during legitimate surveillance operations.
This meant that the judge would unknowingly approve the surveillance of people not targeted by crime busting agencies.
“Information collected by the crime intelligence officer was then sold to who those would use it to blackmail, intimidate or extort money from the people involved,” another senior Hawks member said.
According to the Hawks, there were several high-profile people who were blackmailed using information gathered illegally.
“Some of them are already coming out and have opened cases. In one incident, he [O’Sullivan] took money from a lady who had a problem with her boyfriend who was refusing to repay her.
O’Sullivan went to the boyfriend and realised that he had more money and turned against the woman. She has now opened a case against him,” said a Hawks officer close to the investigation.
» Two cases of extortion in Johannesburg have been filed at the Central Police Station
» A kidnapping case at has been filed at the Sandton Police Station
» An extortion case has been filed at the Roodepoort Police Station
» A case of impersonating a Hawks official and an SA Police Service member, as well as illegally intercepting phone calls and information using crime intelligence operatives has been filed at the Sandton Police Station.
City Press has learnt that Gauteng Hawks boss Prince Mokotedi was heading all the investigations against O’Sullivan.
Mokotedi has an axe to grind with O’Sullivan. The private investigator was instrumental in the Jackie Selebi investigation, during which Mokotedi testified in support of Selebi. Shortly after the trial, O’Sullivan laid criminal charges against Mokotedi for perjury.
O’Sullivan was instrumental in the drafting of a defeating the ends of justice case against Hawks boss Mthandazo Ntlemeza and helped the complainant put together the case, which is now waiting for the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision.
O’Sullivan told City Press on Friday that the cases against him were driven by Mokotedi and Moonoo. He said the two were “both dishonest, lacked integrity” and were doing this to get revenge for the embarrassment he caused when exposing their corrupt activities and “to stop me from outing them”.
“It’s a disgraceful abuse of power and waste of tax-payer’s funds,” he said.
O’Sullivan said none of the false charges Moonoo and Mokotedi have cooked up will hold, even wit the help of a couple of flexible prosecutors.
“When it’s all over, I will send Mokotedi, Moonoo and all their accomplices to prison,” he vowed.
“The people of this country deserve better than having the criminal justice system being overrun by criminals. In the fullness of time, this ‘capture of the justice system’ will be revealed,” he said.
