ActionSA MP Dereleen James has produced documents alleging that forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan received R100,000 from the crime intelligence secret service account, also known as the “slush fund”, in 2007.
O’Sullivan faced intense questioning from members of parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday after the conclusion of his evidence. During the cross-examination, James asked O’Sullivan if he had ever received money from the slush fund. He replied with a firm “no”.
Earlier in his testimony, O’Sullivan detailed his extensive work experience in law enforcement, including voluntary work as a police reservist, clarifying that he was never paid for his efforts.
“I have never been remunerated for any of my public interest work in the past 25 years,” O’Sullivan said. “Quite the opposite; I have spent vast sums of my own funds in the interests of making South Africa a safer country for all its inhabitants.”
O’Sullivan labelled corruption within the crime intelligence slush fund as “the root of a lot of evil” in the SAPS, urging the committee to focus its investigation there.
He claimed the department was rife with criminality, alleging that senior officials hired family members and rented “safe houses” owned by police officers who used the fund to pay their mortgages.
“Cash is regularly stolen from the slush fund, and the theft is quickly covered up by claiming it is ‘secret’. No-one is allowed to inspect it. However, there has not been a clean audit of the fund in the past 20 years.”
Despite O’Sullivan’s denials, James produced documents purportedly showing a R100,000 proof of payment to the investigator and originating from the fund.
“In my possession, I have an internal memorandum dated May 7, 2007, and proof of payment dated May 16, 2007, reflecting a payment of R100,000 to O’Sullivan originating from the slush fund,” James told the committee.
She proceeded to present the documents, which included the application for the funds and a written motivation from O’Sullivan.
James accused O’Sullivan of lying to the committee under oath and announced that ActionSA intended to open criminal charges against him.
“You have repeatedly stated that you did not receive any money. Today, I have brought receipts to prove that you have lied to this house under oath, and we have the evidence,” James asserted.
O’Sullivan dismissed the allegations as “peddling lies”. When pressed further, he clarified that while a payment did exist, the source and timing cited by James were incorrect.
“It did not come from the crime intelligence slush fund,” O’Sullivan explained. “It came from the DSO (Directorate of Special Operations, or ‘Scorpions’) fund. It was not in 2007; it was in 2006, and it was a refund for money I had spent on two things.”
He explained that the funds were a partial reimbursement for security arrangements made for a witness who feared for his or her life.
“I spent half-a-million rand, of which they contributed R100,000. They chose to refund me in this manner. It wasn’t paid from the crime intelligence slush fund; it was paid from the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) account,” said O’Sullivan.
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