SUNDAY TIMES NEWS BY THANDUXOLO JIKA, 2016-12-04
A series of e-mails from forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan reveal how he put pressure on acting national police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane to act against one of his generals - before publicly accusing him of corruption.
The e-mails began in January, three months after Phahlane took over from suspended commissioner Riah Phiyega, with O'Sullivan accusing Phiyega of ignoring his request for a probe into head of detectives Vinesh Moonoo.
They culminated with a warning from O'Sullivan that he would see Phahlane behind bars.
In an e-mail dated January 31, seen by the Sunday Times, O'Sullivan told Phahlane he expected him to investigate Moonoo.
"Phiyega had a constitutional duty to put a stop to Moonoo's activities and she singularly failed," he wrote.
"I am going to assume that, before today, you had no knowledge of Moonoo's criminality. You now know and I do expect that you will not do a Phiyega on this one."
When Phahlane did not respond, O'Sullivan e-mailed him again on February 12, saying: "I always thought you were straight, until I saw how you were helping Moonoo.
"Then I started looking into you and I find out that you have skeletons in the cupboard too. In fact, more skeletons than [late former police commissioner Jackie] Selebi had.
"You fix Moonoo and [criminal kingpin Radovan] Krejcir and I will lose interest in you. If you don't, I'll be all over you like a bad-fitting suit."
O'Sullivan then warned Phahlane: "If you try any dirty tricks, as your predecessors, I'll eat you for breakfast and still be hungry afterwards.
"Do you think you are better than Selebi? If you do, then prepare for the natural conclusion of your sordid life in the police - PRISON. It will be me that sends you there, just like I sent Selebi and just like I will send Moonoo."
In May last year, O'Sullivan laid a complaint against Moonoo and Phiyega, claiming the detective chief had links to underworld criminal bosses including Krejcir.
Phiyega's office dismissed O'Sullivan's claims, saying he wanted Moonoo off his back because he was investigating a complaint laid by SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni that O'Sullivan distributed a fraudulent bank statement he said belonged to her.
Private investigator Paul O'Sullivan has vowed to deal with acting police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane the same way he did with former commissioner Jackie Selebi. Image: Puxley Makgatho. © Business Day.
O'Sullivan gave Phahlane until February 22 to act against Moonoo, but received no response. Three days later, on February 25, he opened a corruption case against the acting commissioner at Sandton police station.
Phahlane did not reply to O'Sullivan's e-mails. Asked by the Sunday Times on Friday if he regarded the e-mails as threats, O'Sullivan replied: "There is no need for me to be nice to dirty cops."
He said Phahlane could not account for the R4.7-million he claimed the acting commissioner used to build his home in Sable Hills, Pretoria.
Phahlane dismissed O'Sullivan's claims, saying the house was partly bonded and part paid for in cash with money from the sale of a previous house.
The complaint about Phahlane's house is being probed by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, which last week asked Phahlane to make a statement about allegations that potential witnesses in the case had been threatened.
Phahlane told the Sunday Times that the investigation against him was a result of him ignoring O'Sullivan's demands.
He said he was not compelled to take instructions from a private citizen, and questioned why O'Sullivan was involved in the Ipid investigation.
In other e-mails O'Sullivan sent to Phahlane and Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi, he took swipes at Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza and President Jacob Zuma.
"I have also now started a process to topple Zuma, as he is the master-puppeteer behind all the criminals in the police and he will eventually go to prison," said O'Sullivan.
"You know Mr Mulaudzi, I can now taste victory. I know it's still a bit further to go, but I can actually taste it, as I now see the Zupta [Zuma and the Gupta family] place start to crumble and fall.
"I will proudly stand in defiance of Zuma, you and your criminal accomplices, appointed by a criminal president."
jikat@sundaytimes.co.za
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