Private investigator Paul O’Sullivan is expected to appear again before parliament’s ad hoc committee after his walkout last week while he was still under examination. The committee’s evidence leader, advocate Norman Arendse, confirmed on Monday that O’Sullivan would appear on Thursday.
This comes after parliament’s legal team asked O’Sullivan to return, saying he was still under examination when he abandoned the committee proceedings without the permission of the chair, Soviet Lekganyane.
They appeared in parliament via Zoom on Monday morning.
“Mr O’Sullivan has been put to terms, in that we have informed him to indicate to you his willingness to appear before the committee by no later than today,” said legal adviser Andile Tetyana.
He added that a summons had already been prepared to secure O’Sullivan’s attendance should he not comply with the committee’s invitation.
O’Sullivan walked out after he was asked to comment on an alleged international crime syndicate. After responding, he left the meeting, saying he objected to the line of questioning, and was in parliament of his own free will.
MK Party MP David Skosana objected, shouting that O’Sullivan could not simply leave. He said O’Sullivan was behaving in the same way as former national director of public prosecutions Shamila Batohi had in another forum.
EFF leader Julius Malema also insisted that O’Sullivan could not depart without being formally released by committee chair Lekganyane, saying he had violated parliamentary rules.
Despite the objections, O’Sullivan exited the proceedings. Lekganyane then indicated that the committee would seek legal advice on the way forward.
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According to the legal opinion sought, by leaving prematurely O’Sullivan’s actions “may reasonably be construed as interfering with or impeding the committee in the execution of its mandate”.
“Honourable members, the committee’s terms of reference require it to assess the veracity of allegations advanced by various witnesses, including those of Mr O’Sullivan, whose evidence was material, particularly in relation to allegations of political interference in police operations,” another legal adviser said.
“His departure before completing his examination thereof hampered the committee’s ability to discharge its functions in terms of its mandate and the terms of reference.”
She said O’Sullivan had potentially committed a statutory offence. Arendse said there was no agreement that O’Sullivan should leave early or at a particular time.
He said what he did convey to Lekganyane was that O’Sullivan had a 2pm flight.
“On several occasions, Mr O’Sullivan, from where he was sitting, indicated that he wanted to leave. But there was no other agreement; as far as I am concerned personally and as evidence leader before this committee, it could have been much better conveyed — and certainly to simply get up and leave without having completed his evidence and without any permission from the honourable chair and the honourable members of the committee — it was unacceptable,” Arendse said.
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