Paul O’Sullivan Threatens Legal Action Against Parliament Over Unpaid Ad Hoc Appearance Expenses
- Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan has formally notified Parliament of his intention to pursue a legal claim
- O'Sullivan noted that he submitted his expenses in February 2026 and again in May, but never received payment
- The forensic investigator's choice of accommodation during his stay appears to be at the centre of Parliament's reluctance to pay
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WESTERN CAPE - Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan has put Parliament on notice over what he says is an unjustified failure to reimburse expenses he incurred when he testified before the Ad Hoc Committee earlier this year.
O’Sullivan appeared before the Committee, which was probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, in February and March 2026.
He has now served Parliament with a notice under the Institution of Legal Proceedings Against Certain Organs of State Act, citing the six-month prescription period that it allegedly applies to claims against it. He said the notice had become necessary to protect his right to recover the money before that window closed.
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O’Sullivan insists he just wants what he is owed
In communication with Parliament, O'Sullivan was clear that he was not pursuing more than he was owed.
"I don't want anything I am not entitled to, but I cannot be seen to be bankrolling Parliament by making interest-free loans of my expenses," he wrote.
O'Sullivan first appeared before the committee in February and March 2026, submitting his expense claim on 13 February and again on 18 February. When payment did not materialise, he resubmitted the supporting documentation in May. By the time he issued the legal notice, more than five months had passed without resolution.
It's not the first time that O'Sullivan and Parliament have been embroiled in a dispute. The forensic investigator got on the bad side of Parliamentarians when he walked out of proceedings on 26 February 2026.
O’Sullivan left while Advocate Bongiwe Mkhize was still questioning him, before Chairperson Soviet Lekganyane formally released him. He has also been charged following a threatening message he sent to Nkabinde, the Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Police.
Hotel row at the heart of the dispute
The standoff appears to centre on disagreement over accommodation costs incurred during O'Sullivan's visit to Cape Town. In earlier correspondence, he described being accused by an unnamed committee member of staying in a six-star hotel.
He argued that Parliament had scheduled his attendance during the same week as the Mining Indaba, when demand for Cape Town accommodation was at its peak and options were severely limited.
"A dishonest member of the committee insisted that I should not be paid because I had stayed in a six-star hotel, which was an intentional lie by that member," O'Sullivan wrote.
"I was requested to be in Parliament during the same week of the Mining Indaba, when no hotel rooms were available. I did not choose the date I should be there."
The documents do not name the committee member, identify the hotel, or specify the nightly rate. Parliament's version of the accommodation dispute was also not included in the correspondence.
O'Sullivan justifies his walkout from proceedings
Briefly News reported that O’Sullivan discussed why he walked out of Parliament and shared his thoughts about whether he was wrong.
The uMkhonto weSizwe' Party's Siboniso Nomvalo criticised O'Sullivan's conduct, saying that he belonged in jail.
Mdumiseni Ntuli, the Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC), also discussed O'Sullivan's conduct in Parliament.
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Source: Briefly News
