Paul O’Sullivan

Paul Robert O’Sullivan (born 17 February 1953, Ireland) is a forensic investigator, security consultant, and anti-corruption activist who has operated in South Africa for over two decades. He holds triple citizenship (Ireland, South Africa, and at least one other country) — a detail KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi weaponised in July 2025, publicly questioning whether O’Sullivan might be a foreign agent. O’Sullivan denied this categorically before Parliament’s Mkhwanazi Ad Hoc Committee in February 2026. In 2014 he was named Certified Fraud Examiner of the Year, and in 2015 he formalised his investigative work by founding Forensics for Justice.

O’Sullivan’s signature case was Jackie Selebi. In January 2003, while serving as a board member at Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), he opened a criminal docket against the National Police Commissioner after discovering Selebi was on the payroll of drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti. O’Sullivan pursued the case over seven years despite sustained pressure and personal risk; Selebi was ultimately convicted of corruption in 2010 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The model — private investigator, sustained dossier-building, eventual conviction of a sitting top official — became O’Sullivan’s template. He repeated it with acting National Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, who faced fraud charges in 2018 following an O’Sullivan investigation.

When Angelo Agrizzi approached Forensics for Justice in October 2017, O’Sullivan partnered with him to build the evidentiary case against Bosasa, its CEO Gavin Watson, and the ANC officials who received bribes. Agrizzi’s explosive Zondo Commission testimony in January 2019 — naming Nomvula Mokonyane, Gwede Mantashe, Vincent Smith, and others — was substantially prepared with O’Sullivan’s team. Forensics for Justice subsequently filed a string of criminal complaints arising from the Bosasa evidence. In November 2022, O’Sullivan laid charges against Arthur Fraser for the alleged unlawful release of Jacob Zuma from prison on fraudulent medical parole in May 2021. O’Sullivan has confirmed approximately 10 attempts on his life over 15 years of investigative work.

By 2025–2026, O’Sullivan’s relationship with KZN law enforcement had become adversarial on two fronts. He was subpoenaed to testify before the Mkhwanazi Ad Hoc Committee (February 2026) where, while denying the foreign-agent accusation, he also gave evidence about his investigations into police corruption that overlapped with the Madlanga Commission’s territory. Separately, in September 2025, Commissioner Mkhwanazi — despite being the primary Madlanga Commission whistleblower — filed a R5 million defamation lawsuit against O’Sullivan, alleging damaging public claims about Mkhwanazi’s own conduct.

Connections

• Bosasa (African Global Operations) — partnered with Agrizzi from October 2017; built evidentiary foundation for Zondo Vol 3
• Angelo Agrizzi — key whistleblower who approached O’Sullivan; joint case-building for Zondo testimony
• Jacob Zuma — multiple investigations and criminal complaints; charged Fraser over Zuma’s medical parole
• Arthur Fraser — criminal charges filed November 2022 for unlawful Zuma parole release
• Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi — adversarial relationship: Mkhwanazi filed R5m defamation suit September 2025; simultaneously questioned O’Sullivan’s citizenship before Parliament
• National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) — O’Sullivan’s complaints are the upstream input; Forensics for Justice files dockets that the Hawks/NPA must then act on
• Madlanga Commission — O’Sullivan’s investigations into KZN police corruption overlap with commission’s mandate; testified February 2026
• Big Five cartel — Forensics for Justice investigations into cartel/EMPD links documented
• Gavin Watson — CEO of Bosasa; primary target of Bosasa investigation

Sources

• Wikipedia: Paul O’Sullivan (Forensic investigator)
• Daily Maverick — “National Police Commissioner slayer strikes again” (February 2018)
• Daily Maverick — Parliamentary testimony on foreign-agent allegation (February 2026)
• Forensics for Justice website — case summaries