Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of violating the Immigration Act.
He was arrested in April, at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg when he tried to leave the country using his Irish passport. He faces charges of contravening the Citizenship Act, intimidation, forgery and extortion. He is out on R20,000 bail with strict conditions.
In July, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) told the court that O’Sullivan was arrested because he was thought to be a flight risk owing to information he sent out in an email suggesting he was preparing to go into exile.
KwaZulu-Natal-based Hawks Colonel Amod Hoosen told the court he was put on the case because he was seen as neutral and independent and had no connection to O’Sullivan.
Advocate Barry Roux, for O’Sullivan, said the private investigator was arrested as he was about to leave for the United Kingdom, where he was expected to have a press conference to expose high-level corruption in South Africa.
O’Sullivan, who was with his family, was found with three passports at the time of his arrest. He was accused of violating the section 26 B of Citizenship Act.
Roux had argued that the arrest was done in order to prevent the press conference from taking place and denied that O’Sullivan said in his email that he was going into hiding or exile.
However, Hoosen disputed the reason for travelling to London and denied that there was any planned press conference.
Hoosen accused O’Sullivan of carrying out illegal surveillance on people and having more than one passport to enable him to flee the country.
In July, the court allowed the forensic investigator to travel to London to celebrate his daughter’s birthday.
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