Trollip vs O’Sullivan: ActionSA leader lays criminal charges over threats

ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip has laid criminal charges against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan after a barrage of threats and accusations. Trollip says he was simply calling for urgent investigation into police corruption, but won’t be intimidated from doing his job as an MP. Trollip spoke to BizNews' Alec Hogg..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..Watch here.Listen here.Read Paul O'Sullivan's sworn statement below.BizNews Reporter .In a revealing interview with Alec Hogg, Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Head of ActionSA, addressed a rapidly escalating feud with forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan. The confrontation, sparked by a disagreement over recent police corruption allegations, has now reached the point where both parties are threatening legal action.Trollip first encountered O’Sullivan at a BizNews Conference in the Drakensberg a few years ago, where both were keynote speakers. What began as a cordial exchange has deteriorated into a bitter public dispute following a press conference by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused senior police officials, including Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, of deep corruption.According to Trollip, he took to social media to call for an urgent investigation into the serious claims raised by Mkhwanazi. O’Sullivan, who has long positioned himself as a corruption-buster, also commented publicly - this time accusing Mkhwanazi of being part of the rot within the police services.The tension flared when Trollip questioned O’Sullivan’s authority to speak on behalf of law enforcement, asking who had appointed him “as the spokesperson of the South African Police Service.” This remark, according to Trollip, triggered a stream of vitriolic WhatsApp messages from O’Sullivan, calling him a “fool” and “a criminal,” and accusing him of supporting gangsters.“I wasn’t going to take this lying down,” said Trollip. “His messages were threatening, insulting, and completely unacceptable. When he started attacking ActionSA and our president Herman Mashaba, I knew it had crossed a line.”Trollip alleges that O’Sullivan’s behaviour amounts to criminal intimidation and has since laid formal charges with the police. A particularly damning development, Trollip noted, was the three-page email O’Sullivan sent - copied to several ActionSA officials - which he claims made the threats a matter of public record.Legal advice received by Trollip suggests the messages could amount to inuria (unlawful impairment of dignity), defamation, and possible extortion.While Trollip insists he has never defended Mkhwanazi or taken sides, he maintains that both Mkhwanazi’s and O’Sullivan’s allegations should be independently investigated. “I’ve been under public scrutiny for over 30 years. I have no criminal record, and I’ve never had any charges brought against me. I answer to the public, not to Paul O’Sullivan.”Trollip emphasised that his reaction is driven by principle rather than personal grievance. “O’Sullivan may think he’s chosen the wrong person to fight with. I think he’s picked the wrong person too.”Alec Hogg noted that O’Sullivan has a well-known history of exposing police corruption, including playing a role in removing two former police commissioners. Trollip acknowledged this but cautioned that his recent conduct undermines that reputation.“I’ve sacrificed a lot for public service. My reputation is all I have, and I will defend it vigorously. No one has the right to intimidate an elected official doing his job.”The feud comes at a time when public trust in South Africa’s police services continues to erode. A new commission of inquiry has been established to investigate Mkhwanazi’s claims, though Trollip expressed doubts about whether it would lead to meaningful change.“The problem isn’t always the commission,” he said. “It’s what happens to the findings once they land on the President’s desk.”In closing, Trollip reiterated his call for a full and fair investigation into all allegations. “If Mkhwanazi is corrupt, he must go to jail. If others are involved, they must go to jail. We cannot tolerate one more day of a compromised police force. But public representatives must be free to do their jobs without being silenced through threats.”

Trollip vs O’Sullivan: ActionSA leader lays criminal charges over threats

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