O’Sullivan released on R10 000 bail

CONTROVERSIAL sleuth Paul O’Sullivan, pictured, was released yesterday on R10 000 bail in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on a series of charges as his battle with the SAPS rages on.

The charges include fraud, extortion, attempted extortion and intimidation. The court appearance came two days after O’Sullivan’s dramatic arrest and later release by the high court in Pretoria after his lawyers launched an urgent application.

That evening, the court ruled that O’Sullivan could not be arrested in accordance with an earlier order which stipulated that he be given 48 hours to present himself to the police.

Yesterday, he was released under strict bail conditions. According to an SAPS statement, these included that he may not “interfere, intimidate, contact or communicate with State witnesses”.

The court also ordered that the accused may not go to Sable Hills Estate and that he must not commit any offences while on bail.

He must give prior notice to the investigator, Brigadier PD Ncube, before leaving the country.

“The case was postponed for further investigation, and O’Sullivan will appear in court again on May 19, 2017, with co-accused Ms Sarah Jane Trent,” said police spokesperson Sally de Beer.

O’Sullivan is currently before the courts as the accused in four other cases. He stands accused in a Bramley fraud and extortion case that goes to trial in Randburg between April 3 and 5.

In May last year, a kidnapping case was opened against him in Rosebank. It goes to trial next month between March 22 and 24.

O’Sullivan was also arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in April last year on immigration charges. This case also goes to court next month.

Another extortion, fraud and intimidation case will be heard in court in July.

“In three of these cases, members of the public are the complainants,” De Beer said.