Forensic Investigator O'Sullivan Flees South Africa Again, Citing Death Plot and Corruption Cover-Up
Johannesburg – Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan has once again relocated his family out of South Africa, alleging a credible, state-sanctioned plot to assassinate him. This dramatic move follows a series of email exchanges between O'Sullivan, Parliament, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) throughout November and December 2025.
The correspondence reveals O'Sullivan's firm refusal to testify in person before an ad hoc parliamentary committee investigating allegations of capture within the criminal justice system. On Thursday, Members of Parliament (MPs) resolved that O'Sullivan, along with alleged police informant Brown Mogotsi, would not be permitted to testify virtually – a decision O'Sullivan has threatened to challenge in court.
O'Sullivan's reluctance to appear physically before state inquiries stems from what he describes as a climate of intimidation and violence. He points to a recent murder, alleged public incitement against him by Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and an alleged long-standing "criminal enterprise" operating at the highest levels of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
"I think the murder of 'Witness D' stands as a stark reminder that the crooked police in our society are willing to go to any lengths to prevent themselves from being exposed and sent to prison," O'Sullivan wrote in a December email, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
O'Sullivan maintains that his life is in danger because he is on the verge of exposing systemic corruption involving high-ranking police officials. He has gone so far as to accuse certain members of the parliamentary committee of being "accessories" to a conspiracy to have him killed.
A pivotal moment cited by O'Sullivan is the testimony given before the ad hoc committee on October 8, 2025, by Mkhwanazi. O'Sullivan attached a transcript in which Mkhwanazi stated, "But it is time that this country must not sit back and be run by Mr Paul O’Sullivan. And if the government fails to act on it, the men and women in this country are going to take it upon themselves to do something drastic about it… because he has gone too deep in showing that he’s got control all over."
O'Sullivan interprets this statement as a direct threat to his life. "What Mkhwanazi really meant is that he knows I know what crimes he has been committing, and he wants the people of South Africa to take me out," he alleges.
He claims that Mkhwanazi's remarks sparked a wave of violent threats against him on social media, which he documented and presented to Parliament, accusing the committee of condoning the behaviour.
"There can be no doubt in my mind that Mkhwanazi… and others are part of a sophisticated 'criminal enterprise', as defined in Poca (Prevention of Organised Crime Act), aimed at extracting millions each month from the Crime Intelligence slush fund," O'Sullivan asserted.
He provided a financial analysis, claiming that "In 2012, the slush fund budget sat at R98-million. Today it sits at R600-million. That’s a growth of more than 500% during a period when cumulative inflation was only 112%. Much of the funds have been syphoned off to run the luxury lifestyle of SAPS management."
O'Sullivan's allegations span several years, citing attached affidavits from former Ipid head Robert McBride and others that he claims implicate officials in serious crimes that have gone unpunished. "The state has known for some time that the senior management of the police is corrupt," he asserted.
In his communications, O'Sullivan frames the committee's insistence on in-person testimony as an unlawful act that violates his constitutional rights. "For your committee to focus ONLY on whether I am there in person or virtually gives me an indication that someone on your committee is conspiring with Mkhwanazi to have me in the right place at the right time to be murdered," he charged.
He issued a stark warning to the committee secretary, "If any attempt is made to unlawfully coerce me to testify in person so that I can be a target for murder, the e-mail chains with yourselves will be made public via the mainstream media, and you will be called out as accessories to conspiracy to commit murder."
The committee secretary, Vhonani Ramaano, acknowledged receipt of several emails with the brief response, "Your email is noted." The lack of a more substantive response has likely fuelled O'Sullivan's concerns and his decision to once again leave the country. The unfolding situation raises serious questions about the safety of whistleblowers and the integrity of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
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