Private investigator Paul O'Sullivan was targeted: Roux
Advocate Barry Roux on Tuesday told the Kempton Magistrate's Court that his client, private investigator Paul O'Sullivan, who was arrested at OR Tambo before he could leave for the UK, was targeted because the arresting officer had not arrested anyone else for breaching section 26B of the Citizenship Act in his 28-year career.
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 26B of Citizenship Act.
On Tuesday, Roux put it to former police officer Thembikhaya Mangqalaza that he was aware of an email that O'Sullivan had sent to a number of people in which he stated that he was travelling to the UK, where he planned to expose high-level corruption in South Africa.
Roux asked Mangqalaza if he had ever arrested anyone for a similar case to that of O'Sullivan. The former policeman said O'Sullivan was the first person he had arrested for the alleged offence.
Pressed to say if Mangqalaza was investigating any other allegations against O'Sullivan and if he could give details, the State prosecutor Jabulani Mlotshwa intervened.
Mlotshwa argued that the former police officer did not have to give any details because investigations were still in progress.
Roux put it to Mangqalaza that on the day O'Sullivan was arrested he was going to the UK to have a press conference to expose corruption. He added that the arrest was done in order to disrupt the conference.
"So you knew that the police were trying to get a warrant of arrest for the SAA (South African Airways) investigation?" asked Roux.
Mangqalaza conceded that he was aware of the probe.
Roux said police couldn't arrest O'Sullivan for the SAA investigation and when they came across the section 26B case they used it as a reason to arrest him.
Mangqalaza denied being part of any plot to arrest O'Sullivan on any possible charges saying, "There was no need because we were done with the 26B case he was already going to appear in court".
The trial, in which O'Sullivan is accused of using a foreign passport to leave the country instead of his South African one, continues. - ANA