Last week parliament was left in disarray when private investigator Paul O’Sullivan decided to walk out while the ad hoc committee was still in session. That led to the chairperson of the committee, Soviet Lekganyane, consuting parliament’s legal team about the way forward.
Sullivan has issued a formal apology to parliament for abruptly leaving the proceedings last week.
This is what happened when he returned to the committee:
- O’Sullivan submitted a letter of apology to parliament, but requested that certain sections of the letter be off the official record, citing the sensitive nature of personal information.
- MK Party MP David Skosana demanded a specific apology and a formal retraction regarding comments O’Sullivan made during a heated exchange the previous week, where he accused Skosana of owing a bank R600,000.
- O’Sullivan rejected the suggestion he had acted unlawfully by obtaining personal credit and financial information about private citizens, raising questions about whether he had the authority to do so.
- ANC MP Xola Nqola labelled O’Sullivan a bully, saying several witnesses who had previously appeared before the committee had presented evidence regarding his conduct.
- However, O’Sullivan justified his actions, arguing that a tough facade was a necessary survival tactic born from his past experiences. He told the committee that in his line of work “you have to fight fire with fire”.
Sowetan
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