By Marcus Moloko
Cedric Nkabinde, chief of staff to suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, told Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday that private forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan had threatened him.
The committee is probing allegations of underworld infiltration and political interference of the criminal justice system, claims first made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in July.
Nkabinde’s claims dated back to a 2018 meeting at which O’Sullivan, representatives of the Democratic Alliance and AfriForum, and a journalist, allegedly discussed removing former national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane.
Nkabinde told the committee, he received a new message on his phone, which he said was from O’Sullivan and which he regarded as a threat.
He read the message aloud.
“Get ready, you lying crook. I am going to make sure you spend some years in prison. You were bribed by Mkhwanazi and Mabula. Now you will pay for your crimes guaranteed,” it allegedly stated.
He said the message was an attempt to intimidate him into silence.
He said references in the message to alleged bribes from Mkhwanazi and “Mabula” were unfounded and aimed at damaging his reputation and discrediting his evidence.
He wanted to show the committee what he described as O’Sullivan’s alleged reach into the country’s justice institutions.
Nkabinde’s allegations include claims that O’Sullivan positioned himself as a shadow power broker, exerting influence over key decision-making processes.
He claimed that O’Sullivan’s interventions disrupted police promotions and investigations, and even shaped outcomes in high-profile cases.
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