Paul O’Sullivan answers Mkhwanazi: Is the General really SA’s New Hope or a dire threat to justice?

In this conversation, Alec Hogg interviews Forensic Investigator Paul O’Sullivan, a prominent figure in South Africa’s fight against corruption, particularly within the police force. The discussion revolves around the controversial figure of Genrral Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KZN police chief, who has made significant allegations against various officials, including O’Sullivan himself. O’Sullivan defends his integrity and outlines the systemic issues within crime intelligence, including the misuse of a substantial slush fund. The conversation highlights the complexities of public perception, the legal battles at play, and the urgent need for accountability and reform in South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.

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In a compelling interview, renowned forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan laid bare a series of disturbing allegations involving KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The conversation exposed the underbelly of South Africa’s embattled police services, raising concerns about the true motives behind Mkhwanazi’s meteoric rise and his recent public crusade against crime.

Since his headline-grabbing press conference in July, Mkhwanazi has become something of a cult hero in South Africa. His confident testimony before the Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s ad hoc committee has earned him public praise and calls for him to run for president. Many, desperate for reform, have embraced his bold disclosures on corruption within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the so-called Mafia State.

But O’Sullivan, founder of Forensics for Justice and a well-known crime fighter with decades of pro bono work behind him, warns the public not to be swept away by charisma. “Your mind has to be like a parachute - if it’s not open, it doesn’t work,” he told Hogg, urging South Africans to look beyond Mkhwanazi’s polish and rhetoric.

At the heart of the current standoff is Mkhwanazi’s R5 million defamation suit against O’Sullivan, paired with incendiary claims that the investigator is a foreign agent. O’Sullivan, in turn, is countersuing for R10 million, citing the general’s conduct and his alleged incitement of violence against him.

“I’m now receiving threats on social media,” O’Sullivan revealed. “That’s the result of a senior police official telling Parliament that the country should take drastic action against me. That’s not how a democracy works.”

O’Sullivan argues that Mkhwanazi is protecting crime intelligence operatives - individuals he claims are at the root of long-standing corruption in the SAPS. He detailed a long list of allegations involving misuse of a R600 million slush fund, cover-ups of misconduct, and cronyism.

One of the more shocking claims involved the chief financial officer of Crime Intelligence, who allegedly used state funds to hire a sex worker, only to have his state-issued laptop and firearm stolen in the process. O’Sullivan claims that fabricated statements were inserted into police dockets to obscure the truth, with those involved eventually arrested - yet still not suspended by the national commissioner, General Masemola.

Another issue raised was Mkhwanazi’s acquisition of a private company, Dream Deal Trading and Investments, reportedly bought from a convicted fraudster. “What is a career policeman doing buying a company like that?” O’Sullivan questioned. “And why hasn’t he disclosed this to the Madlanga Commission or Parliament?”

While O’Sullivan acknowledges that some of Mkhwanazi’s disclosures have merit - such as exposing high-profile individuals involved in questionable contracts and lavish spending - he warns that the general’s narrative is carefully curated. “He takes the truth and sprinkles it with lies,” he said. “And when you do that, you lose credibility.”

Despite being painted as a shadowy figure with ties to global intelligence agencies, O’Sullivan maintains that his work is entirely above board. “I pay my taxes. I have no criminal record. And I’ve never been involved in spying,” he said, laughing off social media claims that he’s an agent of MI6, Mossad, the CIA, or even the Russians.

O’Sullivan plans to appear before the Madlanga Commission to present documented evidence refuting the claims made against him and exposing deeper layers of corruption within Crime Intelligence.

“The emperor has no clothes,” he warned. “When the time comes for those accused to present their evidence, the country will see the truth.”

In a nation gripped by rising crime and a desperate yearning for accountability, the showdown between Mkhwanazi and O’Sullivan may prove to be more than just a clash of egos. It could be a defining moment for the future integrity of South Africa’s justice system.