"I'm loyal to South Africa": Paul O'Sullivan rejects foreign spy allegations before Parliament
Controversial private forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan appeared in person before Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
FORENSIC fraud examiner Paul O'Sullivan pledged his ‘loyalty’ to South Africa, saying he never performed any foreign agency activities in the country.
He has citizenship of three countries - South Africa, Ireland and the United Kingdom, it emerged when he testified before the Ad Hoc Committee probing the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Tuesday.
He also confirmed that he had worked for the British army and military intelligence doing counter espionage and counter terrorism in the 1970s.
He said he had joined the army after he left school to study engineering.
“I realised this kind of work was not for me.”
He said he was never a member of MI6 when probed by EFF leader Julius Malema.
Asked if he spied on people while working with military intelligence, O’Sullivan said: “I was never a spy.”
When he became a South African, O'Sullivan already had citizenship of Ireland and the United Kingdom. He was born in England to Irish parents and was raised in Ireland.
“I have been in this country for 40 years. I can categorically state that I have not performed any foreign agent activities over those 40 years. My loyalty is to South Africa,” he told the parliamentary inquiry.
O’Sullivan said he would consider it criminal for him to support any foreign government.
“Having taken the oath I am stating categorically clear that I have never acted as a foreign agent in this county.”
Members of Parliament took issue with a paragraph in O’Sullivan’s affidavit where he requested to not be probed about his background and business interest in South Africa prior to 1990, for reasons of personal and family security.
He said there had been several attempts on his life and that he was entitled to protect himself and his family.
A certain Paul Gibson was taking care of his security and the parliamentary security team was scattered around the room and outside while the police provided additional escorts.
“This was necessary because of the threats made against me. I am satisfied,” he told the Ad Hoc Committee.
“There have been 10 recorded attempts. There are people on trial for attempting to murder me for exposing their criminal conduct,” said O’Sullivan.
Cape Times