O'Sullivan questions Mkhwanazi's silence on alleged corruption involving PKTT

FORENSIC fraud examiner Paul O’Sullivan on Wednesday questioned why KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was silent about rampant criminal activity within the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT)

Testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee, O’Sullivan said he had been anonymously supplied with affidavits by four members of the PKTT.

He said the members had admitted to receiving gratification from a University of Fort Hare official, a certain Plaatjies, who was the liaison person with the task team when it was probing the university.

“All of them admitted to receiving gratification,” he said.

O’Sullivan noted that none of the implicated members has been suspended, arrested or criminally charged.

He also said Mkhwanazi had during his testimony before the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc Committee, repeatedly talked about informers supplying him with information.

“It is not a function of somebody who does not have security clearance to manage informers. General Mkhwanazi had no security clearance and was not working in Crime Intelligence,” he said.

He noted that there was money that was supposed to pay informers when providing information leading to arrest in criminal activities.

“I could not understand how General Mkhwanazi was able to claim in the Madlanga Commission and in Parliament that he was managing informers.

“If the committee wants to get to the bottom of the root of all evil and cliques, it needs to start with the Slush Fund.”

O’Sullivan said millions of rands were stolen from the Crime Intelligence Secret Services Account, known as the Slush Fund, because there was zero accountability and the money was used in the internal factional battles within the police.

He added that the budget for the Slush Fund was R98 million in the 2012-13 financial year, but it has ballooned to R600m a year – a 500% increase.

“We have not seen a concomitant drop in crime, instead we see an increase,” said O’Sullivan.

In his earlier testimony, he told the Ad Hoc Committee that Mkhwanazi had downplayed the role of Crime Intelligence and the Slush Fund.

He told the MPs that he had supplied the Inspector-General of Intelligence with information regarding the purchase of luxurious hotels by the Crime Intelligence last year after identifying the company that bought the properties - he said he had received a tip off.

O’Sullivan said after supplying further information, he has had no interaction with the office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence.

“The most critical point was the fact that the properties were purchased at full asking price. They even paid more than the asking price.”

He claimed that he had received information that Mkhwanazi and national Commissioner Fannie Masemola “put final touches to the presentation” the KwaZulu-Natal police boss made at his July 6 press conference.

O’Sullivan said someone had dropped an envelope at his office before that press conference about allegations against Masemola.

“I was truly shocked by the contents,” he said, adding that he sent them to the NPA, IDAC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

O’Sullivan denied allegations that he was involved in the procurement of spyware as alleged by some witnesses in the parliamentary inquiry.

O’Sullivan also clarified his relationship with Deputy national Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, whom he said held about four meetings to hand him dockets that they opened relating to corruption of police officials and prosecutors in 2024 or 2025.

 “I just want to place it on record. I don’t know where he lives. I have not been to his house. I have never been to a restaurant for a meal with him,” he said.

“I have never had any dealings, the only time we had a meal together was at the braai in December 2016. I had no other interaction with him other than work related.”

O’Sullivan confirmed sending a text message to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde while he was testifying before the ad Hoc Committee last year.

He said he had merely told Nkabinde that he was lying under oath and could go to prison for that.

“I said you are lying crook and you belong in prison ... I did not threaten him,” said O’Sullivan.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za