Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan denies foreign funding

Forensic fraud examiner Paul O’Sullivan told the Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday that his non-profit organisation, Forensics for Justice, did not receive foreign funding.

O’Sullivan also said most of the donations came from men in the street and the biggest donation was R700,000, from one company.

“We absolutely have no overseas donors,” he said, hinting that their accounts could be perused.

“When you see the amounts, we run that on a shoe string. Most of the donations are from men in the street,” he said.

O’Sullivan said Forensics for Justice focused on fraud in the criminal justice system and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

“We investigate corruption in Transnet, Eskom, South African Airways and other SOEs, the police and prosecution services.”

He told the committee that he was the founder of O’Sullivan and Associates company, now called O’Sullivan, Brosman and Associates, doing forensic investigations for clients in the corporate sector.

During his testimony, O’Sullivan was probed about Sarah-Jane Trent, who witnesses had previously testified had been his personal assistant.

He told parliament that Trent had applied around 2013 or 2024 to his company O’Sullivan and Associates as an intern after completing her legal degree and had not completed her articles.

He said after a one-year contract, Trent became permanent having completed her articles.

“That coincided with my decision to form Forensics for Justice. I invited her to be the executive director. She was the person assisting with pro bono investigations.”

O’Sullivan also said Trent had four years ago expressed a desire “to move on”.

“She resigned as the executive director of Forensics for Justice in March 2022. She also resigned as director of O’Sullivan Associates and she and went to work elsewhere. She has not been involved in my businesses for four years.”

Asked if he currently has relations with her, O’Sullivan said: “None whatsoever”.

He denied knowing security police officer Jim Powell, who was connected to the IFP and who was mentioned in a letter that he was offering O’Sullivan employment when he was seeking a work permit in the 1982.

“I was never involved with the security police in South Africa.”

In his testimony, he told of his experience as police reservist while running a property development company and also became a trainer.

O’Sullivan told the Ad Hoc Committee that he trained President Cyril Ramaphosa as a police reservist in 1997 and also produced an article which featured Ramaphosa receiving an award from O’Sullivan .

“He was a very good student.”

O’Sullivan also said it was quiet a strange situation that he had trained Ramaphosa, who later  helped draft the constitution.

He stated that he  had no connections with persons in the army or police when he came to the country.

“I came as a tourist. I liked the country. I liked the people. I met people I became friends with. I took a decision that it was a nice country and a country to invest in.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za