Under surveillance: Shadrack Sibiya has confirmed that Paul O’ Sullivan
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has asked the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to probe the police team that arrested him.
He wanted the police officer who arrested him, an officer Ncube, and the complainant in the case against him, Major General Ntebo “Jan” Mabula, investigated for alleged contempt of court, unlawful arrest and detention, torture, and defeating the ends of justice, he says in an affidavit filed with Ipid.
“I am shocked and horrified at the disgracefully unlawful conduct of Ncube and the conduct of the team under Mabula, which is clearly aimed at only punishing me for exposing corruption and therefore amounts to the additional offence of torture,” he says.
About 17 police officers arrested him outside AfriForum’s Pretoria offices late on Monday afternoon. He was charged with offences including fraud, intimidation and extortion. He was released at 11.30pm that night following an urgent application at the high court in Pretoria.
“The emotional pain comes from the fact that I was again detained in a disgusting cell which is not fit for humans.
“I was subject to physical pain because there was no place for me to sit and I therefore had to stand as the bed was disgustingly dirty.”
He was kept like this for over four hours.
What happened to him and his legal adviser, attorney Sarah-Jane Trent, was just the tip of the iceberg.
“I intend to pursue these complaints to the bitter end. Not just to obtain redress for myself and Sarah-Jane Trent, against brigadiers and generals in the police who have abandoned their oath to serve without fear, favour or prejudice and have instead elected to abuse their power and bring about change in the way the police abuse their power.
“Arresting citizens after the courts close on a Friday afternoon, is nothing short of scandalous and a gross violation of human rights and dignity,” he said, referring to Trent’s arrest last Friday.
On Thursday, O’Sullivan appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The previous day, Ipid head Robert McBride told Parliament he considered the charges against the investigator to be a form of interference in their case against acting national police chief Khomotso Phahlane.
Phahlane is being investigated for allegedly defeating the ends of justice and for corruption relating to his multimillion-rand house in the exclusive Sable Hills Waterfront Estate, Pretoria and numerous luxury vehicles.
Following his arrest last year, O’Sullivan obtained a court order stipulating that should police want to detain him, they needed to give him 48 hours’ notice to present himself to police.
In court on Thursday, O’Sullivan was charged with fraud, pretending to be an Ipid officer, extortion, attempted extortion and intimidation. He was granted R10 000 bail.
Prosecutor Advocate Molatlhwa Mashuga read out a list of conditions for the bail.
These included no interference, intimidation or contact with state witnesses. He is also not allowed to divulge to a third party who the state witnesses are or to go to the Sable Hills estate. He must not commit any offences while on bail and has to tell the investigating officer if he intends to leave the country.
O’Sullivan said the charges were nothing but an attempt to protect Phahlane.
The case was postponed to May 19. — News24