O’Sullivan hits back at “desperate lying crook” Nkabinde’s “perjury”
Key topics:
O’Sullivan accuses Nkabinde of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee, refuting each allegation as intentional fabrication.
He links Nkabinde’s testimony to a long-running battle dating back to investigations into former acting police chief Phahlane.
Supporting affidavits referenced by O’Sullivan allege bribery, interference with IPID, and a corrupt R45m “grabber” procurement scheme.
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BizNews Reporter
Paul O'Sullivan sent BizNews a copy of the affidavit he submitted today to open a criminal docket against Mr Cedric Mthokozisi Nkabinde for the offence of perjury.
O'Sullivan alleges that on November 19, 2025, while testifying under oath before a parliamentary ad hoc committee, Nkabinde unlawfully and intentionally lied to mislead the committee.
Allegations of false testimony O'Sullivan categorically refutes several claims made by Nkabinde during the parliamentary hearing, labelling them as intentional fabrications:
Control of state institutions: Nkabinde claimed O'Sullivan is "in charge" of the police and runs the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Independent Police Investigating Directorate (IPID) "from the outside". O'Sullivan denies this as an "outright lie".
The "grabber" accusation: Nkabinde testified that O'Sullivan owns a "grabber" (surveillance equipment) used for illegal purposes. O'Sullivan states he has never owned, seen, or recognised such a device.
The "plot" meeting: Nkabinde alleged a meeting took place at O'Sullivan’s home involving Robert McBride, AfriForum, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) to plot the removal of General Phahlane. O'Sullivan clarifies that this was a year-end braai where he distributed an anti-corruption booklet. He asserts that no one from the DA or AfriForum was present and no such plot existed.
Funding and spying: Nkabinde claimed O'Sullivan receives overseas funding to "interfere with the justice cluster" and returns from London with "spying equipment". O'Sullivan rejects these claims as fabrications intended to distract from Nkabinde’s own criminal history.
IPID interference: Nkabinde alleged O'Sullivan would visit IPID offices to interview witnesses. O'Sullivan states he has never interviewed a witness at IPID offices.
Historical context: The "criminal enterprise" To explain Nkabinde's motives, O'Sullivan details a history of conflict dating back to 2016 involving a "criminal enterprise" led by then-acting Police Commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane.
The Phahlane investigation: In January 2016, O'Sullivan opened a case against Phahlane for corruption regarding a multimillion-rand mansion allegedly funded by kickbacks.
Retaliation: O'Sullivan describes being pulled off a plane bound for London with his minor daughters in April 2016, followed by unlawful detention and torture. He faced over 50 "trumped-up" charges, all of which resulted in acquittal or withdrawal.
Nkabinde’s role: O'Sullivan alleges that Nkabinde, formerly an IPID investigator, was bribed to join Phahlane’s faction to derail corruption investigations. Nkabinde allegedly attended the braai at O'Sullivan's home uninvited to spy and later fabricated the "plot" narrative.
Corroborating evidence O'Sullivan references an affidavit by IPID Senior Investigator Humbulani Khuba (Annexure 'B'), dated July 24, 2018, to support his claims.
Bribery and coercion: The Khuba affidavit allegedly details how police officials attempted to bribe IPID investigator Mandla Mahlangu (later murdered) to turn against McBride.
Mkhwanazi’s involvement: The affidavit implicates General Mkhwanazi (current KZN Commissioner) in clandestine meetings to solicit Khuba and Nkabinde to become witnesses against McBride. It claims Nkabinde had already "come on board" with this group.
The "grabber" purchase: Khuba’s statement reportedly describes corrupt arrangements by police officials to purchase a "grabber" for an inflated price of R45 million, which IPID prevented.
Confrontation and conclusion During Nkabinde’s testimony, O'Sullivan sent him WhatsApp messages calling him a "lying crook" and warning him of prison time for bribery and perjury. O'Sullivan asserts that Nkabinde's testimony was a desperate attempt to distract from his own past criminal conduct and conspiracy with corrupt officials. He concludes by requesting a thorough investigation into Nkabinde’s conduct since 2016 and demands he be charged with perjury for his lies to parliament.
Read Afriforum's article: "AfriForum will file criminal charges against Nkabinde due to false allegations of conspiracy" by clicking here.
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