‘I took an oath to tell the truth, not to sit for three hours facing racial attacks’
Friday 27 February 2026 – 13:56pm
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has defended his decision to walk out of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee.
He said he had honoured the time agreement upon and did not defy Parliament.
He was speaking exclusively to eNCA on Friday, a day after he walked out of Parliament while still being questioned. He said he had a plane to catch.
READ | ‘I’ve done enough’ -O’Sullivan storms out of Ad Hoc Committee
According to O’Sullivan it had been agreed that he would appear before the committee until 1pm as he needed to catch a 3.15pm flight to Johannesburg.
His return back to Johannesburg had to do with him having a knee surgery.
The procedure had been set for Wednesday but he never went, because he decided to appear before the Ad Hoc Committee.
Initially, he said it was estimated that his appearance would be between two and two-and-a-half hours.
But he agreed to extend it to three hours.
However, he claimed the session was disrupted by what he described as unruly behaviour from some MPs.
“Most of the interruptions were either racist or defamatory. I was repeatedly called a spy. I was repeatedly called a thug. The Action SA MP, I forget her first name, said that I’m involved in a drug cartel. What rubbish,” he lambasted.
O’Sullivan added that due to delays when leaving the committee, he missed his scheduled flight and had to take a later one, arriving home after dark.
He further argued that the Powers and Privileges of Parliament Act was not intended to shield MPs who deliberately defame individuals.
READ | ‘I am not a spy’ – Paul O’Sullivan tells MPs at Ad Hoc Committee
“I’ve identified the members of the committee that are abusive and racist, and I’ve seen exactly who they are. And I’ve worked out what their motive is. And their motive is that they’re protecting criminals,” he claimed.
Despite the walkout, he maintained that he had not defied Parliament.
“I took an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I didn’t take an oath to be allowed to sit there and have three hours of people making racial attacks against me, making defamatory statements against me and insulting me repeatedly,” he told eNCA.
