Private eyes ‘spied for’ McBride’s unit
WhatsApp shows O’Sullivan wanted dirt on cop minister
● Private investigator Paul O’Sullivan’s assistant, Sarah-Jane Trent, asked police watchdog head Robert McBride for former police minister Nathi Nhleko’s ID number so she could dig up dirt on him.
The offer is made in leaked WhatsApps and e-mails between McBride, other investigators at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), O’Sullivan and Trent.
The leaked transcripts, which the Sunday Times has seen, are the latest salvo in an apparent feud between Ipid and the police. They come as McBride prepares to testify at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture about a Russian-trained police death squad that may have been involved in political assassinations, break-ins and harassment during Jacob Zuma’s presidency.
The transcripts were obtained by police after Trent was arrested in February last year.
In June a court ordered that police must not “counter-investigate” Ipid and the investigation was dropped. It is unclear why the transcripts were leaked now.
The WhatsApps reveal that O’Sullivan played a key role in Ipid’s investigation of former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, despite McBride telling parliament last year that O’Sullivan’s involvement had been “minuscule”.
The input included allegedly giving McBride advice on how to respond to questions from journalists and drafting a press statement to be attributed to Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini.
In one WhatsApp, Ipid investigator Mandla Mahlangu asks Trent if O’Sullivan has any questions he needs him to ask Phahlane when he interviews him the following day.
Mahlangu says: “We are seeing Phahlane tomorrow, do you maybe have some questions for him?” Then: “Check with Paul as well.” Trent responds: “Amazing! Will send to you on email … We will work on it now. Thanks.”
She then adds: “We’ve got the smoking gun … Let him think he’s safe for a day. It won’t last long.”
In the exchange about Nhleko, McBride sends a WhatsApp to Trent, saying: “Nhleko trying to get rid of me again?” Trent responds: “Let him try. You have an id no. Or cell phone number?” McBride: “Yeah.” Trent: “Send quickly.” McBride: “Try this id: [an ID number follows].” Trent: “Will let you know if anything fishy. Getting the title deed to his house and vehicle ownership. Will let you know when I get them. Paul has an idea!! Call when you can.”
Later Trent sends another message saying O’Sullivan has a “master plan re your Nhleko issue”. Later Trent sends another message: “Hi! Can you send Nhleko documents re R30 million. We can get a docket opened immediately.” McBride responds: “Hi there. Let me see what I can do.”
Later McBride sends Trent a link to an online article about Nhleko asking parliament to establish an inquiry into him. Trent replies: “Not going to lie I am pissed OFF. When I told Paul he lost it got very upset. We have been brainstorming all day and paul has a brilliant solution. An O’Sullivan ‘master plan’. AND a plan B and a potential plan C already.”
The Sunday Times has established that the ID number mentioned in the transcripts is Nhleko’s. Nhleko could not be reached for comment.
In another conversation, Mahlangu tells Trent he has realised he did not get it right with an R80,000 sound system that was allegedly given to Phahlane as a bribe.
“He definitely paid for his music system, I’m in trouble. I need a lawyer,” Mahlangu says, to which Trent replies: “You have one … I will be there for you always.” Mahlangu then responds: “I’m going to be embarrassed because he might win round 1.”
Phahlane supplied proof that he had paid for the sound system out of his own pocket.
Dlamini denied having a press statement written for him. O’Sullivan rejected the WhatsApp conversations as “rubbish and untrue”. Trent did not respond — O’Sullivan said she was out of town until next month.
“We shared what we had on Phahlane’s syndicate with Ipid,” O’Sullivan said.
“We supplied Ipid with details on how the corrupt Phahlane family benefited from their criminal conduct, including houses bought with the proceeds of crime.
“I ceased all my work on that case more than 18 months ago after Phahlane had his criminal associates kidnap my staff [Trent], myself and created trumped-up charges against us all.”
Nhleko, as minister, suspended McBride in March 2015. McBride was accused of tampering with evidence but was cleared and reinstated after the Constitutional Court found his suspension to have been unlawful.
In 2016 O’Sullivan laid a complaint with Ipid of corruption by Phahlane.
Phahlane was charged with fraud and corruption, but the state withdrew after the court dismissed the last of several applications for postponements.
Police began investigating some Ipid officers, as well as O’Sullivan and Trent. O’Sullivan and Trent were arrested in February last year. Trent’s phone was seized and its contents downloaded. Charges against them were later dropped.
Phahlane told the Sunday Times he was still convinced O’Sullivan was part of the team investigating him.
“O’Sullivan has been, and is, still leading the Ipid investigation … you can’t differentiate whether he is a witness, whistleblower, judge or an investigating officer; he is everything,” he said.
While Dlamini could not say whether Ipid had officially contracted O’Sullivan to investigate Phahlane, he said: “If O’Sullivan has got specialised skills in any area, Ipid can ask him to assist.”
Dlamini said Ipid had obtained a court order interdicting police from investigating Ipid investigators who were investigating the police.
He said the investigation of Phahlane was on course.
“The case was provisionally withdrawn to allow for the completion of forensic reports in support of the investigation. The docket has been submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority, accompanied by the aforesaid forensic reports with a view of re-enrolling the matter with additional suspects,” he said.
Not going to lie I am pissed OFF. When I told Paul he lost it got very upset Sarah-Jane Trent
Assistant to private investigator
Paul O’Sullivan